The Vital Question
Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life
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Narrated by:
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Kevin Pariseau
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By:
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Nick Lane
About this listen
To explain the mystery of how life evolved on Earth, Nick Lane explores the deep link between energy and genes.
The Earth teems with life: in its oceans, forests, skies, and cities. Yet there's a black hole at the heart of biology. We do not know why complex life is the way it is or, for that matter, how life first began. In The Vital Question, award-winning author and biochemist Nick Lane radically reframes evolutionary history, putting forward a solution to conundrums that have puzzled generations of scientists.
For two and a half billion years, from the very origins of life, single-celled organisms such as bacteria evolved without changing their basic forms. Then, on just one occasion in four billion years, they made the jump to complexity. All complex life, from mushrooms to man, shares puzzling features, such as sex, which are unknown in bacteria. How and why did this radical transformation happen? The answer, Lane argues, lies in energy: All life on Earth lives off a voltage with the strength of a lightning bolt.
Building on the pillars of evolutionary theory, Lane's hypothesis draws on cutting-edge research into the link between energy and cell biology in order to deliver a compelling account of evolution from the very origins of life to the emergence of multicellular organisms while offering deep insights into our own lives and deaths.
Both rigorous and enchanting, The Vital Question provides a solution to life's vital question: Why are we as we are, and indeed, why are we here at all?
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2015 Nick Lane (P)2015 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Profound & Life Changing...
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The Deeper Genome
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Over a decade ago, as the Human Genome Project completed its mapping of the entire human genome, hopes ran high that we would rapidly be able to use our knowledge of human genes to tackle many inherited diseases, and understand what makes us unique among animals. But things didn't turn out that way.
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Great Scientific Writing/ Wrong Narrator
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The Blind Watchmaker
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The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
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Challenging textbook more than an enjoyable listen
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A Series of Fortunate Events
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Why is the world the way it is? How did we get here? Does everything happen for a reason, or are some things left to chance? Philosophers and theologians have pondered these questions for millennia, but startling scientific discoveries over the past half century are revealing that we live in a world driven by chance. A Series of Fortunate Events tells the story of the awesome power of chance and how it is the surprising source of all the beauty and diversity in the living world.
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We are for a short time.
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Science starts to get interesting when things don't make sense. Science's best-kept secret is that there are experimental results and reliable data that the most brilliant scientists can neither explain nor dismiss. If history is any precedent, we should look to today's inexplicable results to forecast the future of science. Michael Brooks heads to the scientific frontier to meet 13 modern-day anomalies and discover tomorrow's breakthroughs.
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10 interesting chapters-read epiloge first
- By Stephen on 06-10-09
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In The Ancestor's Tale, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins offers a masterwork: an exhilarating reverse tour through evolution, from present-day humans back to the microbial beginnings of life four billion years ago. Throughout the journey, Dawkins spins entertaining, insightful stories and sheds light on topics such as speciation, sexual selection, and extinction. The Ancestor's Tale is at once an essential education in evolutionary theory and riveting in its telling.
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Please do an unabridged version!
- By MovieExpertise on 09-29-16
By: Richard Dawkins
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Origin Story
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Most historians study the smallest slivers of time, emphasizing specific dates, individuals, and documents. But what would it look like to study the whole of history, from the big bang through the present day - and even into the remote future? How would looking at the full span of time change the way we perceive the universe, the earth, and our very existence? These were the questions David Christian set out to answer when he created the field of "Big History", the most exciting new approach to understanding where we have been, where we are, and where we are going.
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A brilliant achievement, must read/listen
- By 11104 on 09-05-18
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How to Build a Dinosaur
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In movies, in novels, in comic strips, and on television, we've all seen dinosaurs - or at least somebody's educated guess of what they would look like. But what if it were possible to build, or grow, a real dinosaur without finding ancient DNA? Jack Horner, the scientist who advised Steven Spielberg on the blockbuster film Jurassic Park and a pioneer in bringing paleontology into the 21st century, teams up with the editor of the New York Times's Science Times section to reveal exactly what's in store.
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Good book but misplaced title
- By Robert on 06-19-15
By: Jack Horner, and others
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The Science of Rick and Morty
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Blending biology, chemistry, and physics basics with accessible - and witty-prose, The Science of Rick and Morty equips you with the scientific foundation to thoroughly understand Rick's experiments from the show, such as how we can use dark matter and energy, just what is intelligence hacking, and whether or not you can really control a cockroach's nervous system with your tongue. Perfect for longtime and new fans of the show, this is the ultimate segue into discovering more about our complicated and fascinating universe.
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Some good science in here?
- By Darin Harbert on 02-06-20
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At the Edge of Uncertainty
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The atom, the big bang, DNA, natural selection - all are ideas that have revolutionized science; and all were dismissed out of hand when they first appeared. The surprises haven't stopped in recent years, and in At the Edge of Uncertainty, best-selling author Michael Brooks investigates the new wave of radical insights that are shaping the future of scientific discovery.
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All smoke, no fire
- By Kenton on 07-25-15
By: Michael Brooks
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What listeners say about The Vital Question
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Eli Gassert
- 02-05-16
One of the most fascinating, albeit complicated, books I've read
If you've ever wondered how it all started and how scientists could even possibly begin to speculate, this book will explain it all. You've heard of the "primordial goo" I'm sure. This book explains exactly what that means. It explains how we go from nothing, to something, to something slightly more complex, to something complex enough for natural selection to kick in; all while explaining how no laws of thermodynamics (and the tendency toward entropy and disorder instead of order) were violated. No pieces are left out for you to guess at. He explains it all and the research behind it. Like building Legos, you can see pieces falling into place, all leading to the evolution of us. Really was an amazing read.
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- A. C.
- 02-03-19
Super interesting/important topic; very technical
This book was quite hard to follow as a non-scientist. But the topic is very interesting. I’m glad I read it, even though I think I only understood about 50% of it. I wish someone would write a more accessible version of this for non-scientists.
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- Marty L. Illers
- 08-28-21
I wish more books were written this way.
Many people would say this book assumed the reader to be beyond 101 stuff. I’m self taught and delighted in the fact that I had to listen to this book three times and will probably listen three more times - it’s that well done - I pulls me in to a deeper understanding every time I listen. I wish more books assumed this level of understanding. I wish more books were written this way.
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- An on my mouse
- 01-17-17
Awesome!!
This was one of the best books I've read/listened to in a long time. I would however caution anyone without a background in biological science, it's not deeply technical but it you don't know a little microbiology or cell biology going into it, you might have to look up a lot of things and it could make it a little less enjoyable for you.
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- ARG
- 06-11-16
Can be a bit technical, but I learned a lot
I probably learned more from this book about biology / life than from anything previous. At times hard to keep going, can almost make one sleepy. But if you push through it all, it is most definitely educational and informative. For the layman anyway.
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- dachi
- 04-06-16
Great, but I did not finish it
I'd recommend this listen to someone who is into bio. if you understand just little bit of the biology you should like it. For some reason I was never too euphoric about the subject and even though it is super cool, bio never captivated my - It was never my cup of tea. So for great material and very interesting book I rate 4/5 (I rarely give 5/5...)
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- CBG
- 02-05-16
Deep, Interesting and Complex
Very very detailed. I feel like an expert on cellular mechanisms now. A interesting book that will have you hitting the rewind button...when you "zone-out" and start thinking about what to cook for dinner, or if you prefer soft or strong toilet paper. Suddenly you have to rewind to find out where the mind-drift happened. But, the fact that I'm so curious about the sentences I missed testifies to the insightfulness of this book. To spoil the ending...the mitochondria did it.
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- Fernando
- 12-03-16
Genius!
Some microbiology background goes a long way here, but the author successfully blazes through this earth shattering information in a way accessible to millions.
The beauty of the work starts taking shape in the second part of the book. It is then that the connections between the beginnings of life, mitochondria, DNA, sex and aging coalesce.
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- Josh Throckmorton
- 04-15-24
So much to learn
There is so much to learn and unpack in this book. I will read it many more times for sure!
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- Richard
- 11-24-15
Top Tier Presentation
What made the experience of listening to The Vital Question the most enjoyable?
The author's concise, entertaining, and intelligent presentation of the material. And then Kevin Pariseau gave it some further propellant in his slick narration.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Vital Question?
This is not one of those "memorable moments" presentations. Instead, it was a compelling and multi-layered treatise, building basic science first then expanding eloquently into the great questions under study, the main one of course being a discussion of how life might have emerged out of inorganic structure. I really enjoyed his explanation of the bioenergetics behind each hypothesis. On the other hand one must bear in mind that much of this material is speculative in nature due to the great gulf of deep time that lies between the emergence of life and the present moment.
Which character – as performed by Kevin Pariseau – was your favorite?
The mighty mitochondrion, of course.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, a rare breath of fresh air compared to a lot of books.
Any additional comments?
Kevin Pariseau took this brilliant material and made it smooth and enjoyable. I had to nick one star off a complete five star rating in all categories because of a few moments of redundant rambling that occurred here and there, but these interludes were rare.
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29 people found this helpful