Life's Matrix: A Biography of WaterUniversity of California Press, 2001 - 417 pagine One of the four elements of classical antiquity, water is central to the environment of our planet. In Life's Matrix, Philip Ball writes of water's origins, history, and unique physical character. As a geological agent, water shapes mountains, canyons, and coastlines, and when unleashed in hurricanes and floods its destructive power is awesome. Ball's provocative exploration of water on other planets highlights the possibilities of life beyond Earth. Life's Matrix also examines the grim realities of depletion of natural resources and its effects on the availability of water in the twenty-first century. |
Sommario
THE FIRST FLOOD | 3 |
BLOOD OF THE EARTH | 22 |
STOREHOUSES OF THE HAIL | 59 |
OCEANS IN THE SKY | 82 |
OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS | 115 |
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH | 151 |
COLD TRUTHS | 183 |
THE REAL ELIXIR | 221 |
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