Embark on a breathtaking journey to uncover the secrets of life itself, from the author of the international bestseller, The Universe in Your Hand In this immersive and mind-expanding book, acclaimed physicist Christophe Galfard takes you on an adventure like no other to answer the fundamental question: what is life? You''ll travel back in time to witness the cataclysmic asteroid impact that doomed the dinosaurs, experience the tumultuous forces that shaped our planet, and discover how the first stirrings of life emerged from inanimate matter. But your journey won''t end there: you''ll be shrunk down to the microscopic level and explore one of your own cells, witnessing the complex and awe-inspiring machinery that powers your very existence. Along the way, you''ll be introduced to the groundbreaking ideas of scientific legends like Charles Darwin, Marie Tharp, Watson & Crick, Barbara McClintock and a whole host of other geniuses from both the past and the present. A truly comprehensive and deeply accessible guide to the living world, Life Is in Your Hands will ensure that you''ll never look at living things the same way again.

Autorentext

Christophe Galfard holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Cambridge, where he was Stephen Hawking's graduate student from 2000 to 2006, researching the so-called black hole information paradox. With Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy Hawking, he co-authored George's Secret Key to the Universe. His international bestseller, The Universe in Your Hand, has been translated into over twenty languages.

Klappentext

'An entertaining, expert guide to the precarious, miraculous and wondrous journey to where we are now' - Dara Ó Briain

**'What a fun book! Like having a chat with a friendly scientist over a coffee' - Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

What is life? How did it first appear? Where else in the universe might we find it?**

In This Is Life, acclaimed science communicator and Stephen Hawking's former Ph.D. student Christophe Galfard takes you on a wonder-filled journey to look for the origins - and the meaning - of life. From how we know life must have had a beginning, to the extreme evolutionary turns that saw Earth's species grow shields and weapons to fight wars that lasted millennia, This is Life tells the story of how the visionary discoveries of the past few decades have allowed us to understand what we, humans, and all other living organisms really are.

Through brilliant storytelling and delightful humour, Galfard makes the secrets of the living world accessible to all. This Is Life will transform the way you see the world, and your place in it.

'A gorgeous, glorious romp through the sciences' - David Tong, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge