Essay on The Gaia Hypothesis - 1960 Words

The Gaia Hypothesis The Gaia Hypothesis is a hypothesis that was developed by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the late 1970s. James Lovelock is a British scientist, an atmospheric chemist, and also an inventor with an education in human physiology. Lynn Margulis was a microbiologist during the 1970s at Boston University. She also originated the theory of the eukaryotic cell arising as a result of endosymbiotic cell capture. This theory is the one that gave her the credibility to advance the Gaia Hypothesis. Since every hypothesis takes the form of an if/then statement, the Gaia Hypothesis namely is an if/then statement. Summarized the Gaia Hypothesis is If life regulates the physical and chemical environment of the†¦show more content†¦This specific metaphor was originated by Lewis Thomas, a medical doctor. (Oceans, p.2). James W. Kirchner, a scientist, believes that this hypothesis can be compared to the writing of Shakespeare. Shakespeare stated that, All the worlds a stage, an d the Gaia Hypothesis states that, All the world is a living organism. (Oceans, p.2). Kirchner believes that metaphors inspire fruitful speculation, but that metaphors themselves are untestable. Lovelock has a separate metaphor for Gaia. Lovelock states that he sees Gaia as being like a tree. A tree that quietly exists, never moving except to sway in the wind, yet endlessly conversing with the sunlight and the soil. Using sunlight and water and nutrient minerals to grow and change. (Charlton, p.2). Another metaphor for Gaia is that it has been seen to be like a California Redwood. The redwoods tissue is 97% dead. The trunk has a thin layer of living organisms spread across its surface, and this is similar to the earths lithosphere. The bark is seen to be like the Earths atmosphere. The atmosphere is the protective coating on the Earth. The atmosphere protects the Earth like the bark protects the tree. The bark, like the atmosphere, allows the transfer of important gas ses, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. While much of the Earth may be considered non-living, the fact that all of these non-living parts are involved to some extent in livingShow MoreRelatedThe Gaia Hypothesis Essay1295 Words   |  6 PagesThe Gaia Hypothesis In the early 1960s, James Lovelock was invited by NASA to participate in the scientific research for evidence of life on Mars. His job was to design instruments, capable of detecting the presence of life, which could be sent on a spacecraft to Mars. This led him to think about what constitutes life, and how it can be detected. He decided that the most general characteristic of life was that it takes in energy and matter and discards waste productsRead More Gaia: Argument over a single word Essay2082 Words   |  9 PagesGaia: Argument over a single word THESIS: Life on earth has been considered by some as a purposeful interaction tending toward ecological stability. 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