Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Ideas: How to Think About Science - Episode 6 - James Lovelock's Gaia Hypothesis

How to Think About Science: Episode 6 - James Lovelock
Ideas (CBC)

Forty-years ago British scientist James Lovelock put forward the first elements of what he would come to call the Gaia theory. Named for the ancient Greek goddess of the earth, it held that the earth as a whole functions as a self-regulating system. At first many biologists scoffed. Today, Lovelock's ideas are more widely accepted, even in circles where he was initially scorned. But even as he has been winning scientific honours, James Lovelock has been growing more pessimistic about the prospects for contemporary civilization.

In this episode David Cayley presents a profile of James Lovelock. It tells the story of a career in science that began a long time ago.

To Listen to the Episode

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