In The Medea Hypothesis, renowned paleontologist Peter Ward proposes a
revolutionary and provocative vision of life's relationship with the
Earth's biosphere--one that has frightening implications for our future,
yet also offers hope. Using the latest discoveries from the geological
record, he argues that life might be its own worst enemy. This stands in
stark contrast to James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis--the idea that life
sustains habitable conditions on Earth. In answer to Gaia, which draws
on the idea of the "good mother" who nurtures life, Ward invokes Medea,
the mythical mother who killed her own children. Could life by its very
nature threaten its own existence?
According to the Medea hypothesis, it does. Ward demonstrates that all
but one of the mass extinctions that have struck Earth were caused by
life itself. He looks at our planet's history in a new way, revealing an
Earth that is witnessing an alarming decline of diversity and biomass--a
decline brought on by life's own "biocidal" tendencies. And the Medea
hypothesis applies not just to our planet--its dire prognosis extends to
all potential life in the universe. Yet life on Earth doesn't have to be
lethal. Ward shows why, but warns that our time is running out.
Breathtaking in scope, The Medea Hypothesis is certain to arouse
fierce debate and radically transform our worldview. It serves as an
urgent challenge to all of us to think in new ways if we hope to save
ourselves from ourselves.
