A Short History of Nearly Everything-第1章

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

…。网
as　i　sit　here；　in　early　2003；　i　have　before　me　several　pages　of　manuscript　bearing　majesticallyencouraging　and　tactful　notes　from　ian　tattersal　of　the　american　museum　of　natural　historypointing　out；　inter　alia；　that　perigueux　is　not　a　wineproducing　region；　that　it　is　inventive　but　atouch　unorthodox　of　me　to　italicize　taxonomic　divisions　above　the　level　of　genus　and　species；that　i　have　persistently　misspelled　olorgesaille；　a　place　that　i　recently　visited；　and　so　on　insimilar　vein　through　two　chapters　of　text　covering　his　area　of　expertise；　early　humans。

goodness　knows　how　many　other　inky　embarrassments　may　lurk　in　these　pages　yet；　but　itis　thanks　to　dr。　tattersall　and　all　of　those　whom　i　am　about　to　mention　that　there　arent　manyhundreds　more。　i　cannot　begin　to　thank　adequately　those　who　helped　me　in　the　preparation　ofthis　book。　i　am　especially　indebted　to　the　following；　who　were　uniformly　generous　and　kindlyand　showed　the　most　heroic　reserves　of　patience　in　answering　one　simple；　endlessly　repeatedquestion：　〃im　sorry；　but　can　you　explain　that　again？〃in　the　united　states：　ian　tattersall　of　the　american　museum　of　natural　history　in　newyork；　john　thorstensen；　mary　k。　hudson；　and　david　blanchflower　of　dartmouth　college　inhanover；　new　hampshire；　dr。　william　abdu　and　dr。　bryan　marsh　of　dartmouth…hitchcockmedical　center　in　lebanon；　new　hampshire；　ray　anderson　and　brian　witzke　of　the　iowadepartment　of　natural　resources；　iowa　city；　mike　voorhies　of　the　university　of　nebraskaand　ashfall　fossil　beds　state　park　near　orchard；　nebraska；　chuck　offenburger　of　buenavista　university；　storm　lake；　iowa；　ken　rancourt；　director　of　research；　mount　washingtonobservatory；　gorham；　new　hampshire；　paul　doss；　geologist　of　yellowstone　national　park；and　his　wife；　heidi；　also　of　the　national　park；　frank　asara　of　the　university　of　california　atberkeley；　oliver　payne　and　lynn　addison　of　the　national　geographic　society；　james　o。

farlow；　indianapurdue　university；　roger　l。　larson；　professor　of　marine　geophysics；university　of　rhode　island；　jeff　guinn　of　the　fort　worth　star…telegram　newspaper；　jerry　kasten　of　dallas；　texas；　and　the　staff　of　the　iowa　historical　society　in　desmoines。

in　england：　david　caplin　of　imperial　college；　london；　richard　fortey；　les　ellis；　and　kathyway　of　the　natural　history　museum；　martin　raff　of　university　college；　london；　rosalindharding　of　the　institute　of　biological　anthropology　in　oxford；　dr。　laurence　smaje；　formerlyof　the　welle　institute；　and　keith　blackmore　of　　the　times。

in　australia：　the　reverend　robert　evans　of　hazelbrook；　new　south　wales；　alan　thorneand　victoria　bennett　of　the　australian　national　university　in　canberra；　louise　burke　andjohn　hawley　of　canberra；　anne　milne　of　the　sydney　morning　herald；　ian　nowak；　formerlyof　the　geological　society　of　western　australia；　thomas　h。　rich　of　museum　victoria；　timflannery；　director　of　the　south　australian　museum　in　adelaide；　and　the　very　helpful　staff　ofthe　state　library　of　new　south　wales　in　sydney。

and　elsewhere：　sue　superville；　information　center　manager　at　the　museum　of　new　zealandin　wellington；　and　dr。　emma　mbua；　dr。　koen　maes；　and　jillani　ngalla　of　the　kenya　nationalmuseum　in　nairobi。

i　am　also　deeply　and　variously　indebted　to　patrick　janson…smith；　gerald　howard；　mariannevelmans；　alison　tulett；　larry　finlay；　steve　rubin；　jed　mattes；　carol　heaton；　charles　elliott；david　bryson；　felicity　bryson；　dan　mclean；　nick　southern；　patrick　gallagher；　larryashmead；　and　the　staff　of　the　peerless　and　ever…cheery　howe　library　in　hanover；　newhampshire。

above　all；　and　as　always；　my　profoundest　thanks　to　my　dear　wife；　cynthia。

xs



CONTENTS

（／／小｜//说//网）
acknowledgments

introduction

part　　i　lost　in　the　cosmos

1　how　to　build　a　universe

2　wele　to　the　solar　system

3　the　reverend　evanss　universe

part　ii　the　size　of　the　earth

4　the　measure　of　things

5　the　stone…breakers

6　science　red　in　tooth　and　claw

7　elemental　matters

part　iii　anew　age　dawns

8　einsteins　universe

9　the　mighty　atom

10　getting　the　lead　out

11　muster　marks　quarks

12　the　earth　moves

part　iv　dangerous　planet

13　bang！

14　the　fire　below

15　dangerous　beauty

part　v　life　itself

16　lonely　planet

17　into　the　troposphere

18　the　bounding　main

19　the　rise　of　life

20　small　world

21　life　goes　on

22　good…bye　to　all　that

23　the　richness　of　being

24　cells

25　darwins　singular　notion

26　the　stuff　of　life

part　vi　the　road　to　us

27　ice　time

28　the　mysterious　biped

29　the　restless　ape

30　good…bye

notes

bibliography

index

the　physicist　leo　szilard　once　announced　to　his　friend　hans　bethe　that　he　was　thinking　of　keeping　a　diary：　〃i　dont　intend　to　publish。　iam　merely　going　to　record　the　facts　for　the　information　of　god。〃〃dont　you　think　god　knows　the　facts？〃　bethe　asked。

〃yes；〃　said　szilard。

〃he　knows　the　facts；　but　he　does　not　know　this　version　of　the　facts。〃

…hans　christian　von　baeyer；taming　the　atom

．．



INTRODUCTION

；
wele。　and　congratulations。　i　am　delighted　that　you　could　make　it。　getting　here　wasnteasy；　i　know。　in　fact；　i　suspect　it　was　a　little　tougher　than　you　realize。

to　begin　with；　for　you　to　be　here　now　trillions　of　drifting　atoms　had　somehow　to　assemblein　an　intricate　and　intriguingly　obliging　manner　to　create　you。　its　an　arrangement　sospecialized　and　particular　that　it　has　never　been　tried　before　and　will　only　exist　this　once。　forthe　next　many　years　（we　hope）　these　tiny　particles　will　unplainingly　engage　in　all　thebillions　of　deft；　cooperative　efforts　necessary　to　keep　you　intact　and　let　you　experience　thesupremely　agreeable　but　generally　underappreciated　state　known　as　existence。

why　atoms　take　this　trouble　is　a　bit　of　a　puzzle。　being　you　is　not　a　gratifying　experience　atthe　atomic　level。　for　all　their　devoted　attention；　your　atoms　dont　actually　care　about　you…indeed；　dont　even　know　that　you　are　there。　they　dont　even　know　that　they　are　there。　they　aremindless　particles；　after　all；　and　not　even　themselves　alive。　（it　is　a　slightly　arresting　notionthat　if　you　were　to　pick　yourself　apart　with　tweezers；　one　atom　at　a　time；　you　would　produce　amound　of　fine　atomic　dust；　none　of　which　had　ever　been　alive　but　all　of　which　had　once　beenyou。）　yet　somehow　for　the　period　of　your　existence　they　will　answer　to　a　single　overarchingimpulse：　to　keep　you　you。

the　bad　news　is　that　atoms　are　fickle　and　their　time　of　devotion　is　fleeting…fleeting　indeed。

even　a　long　human　life　adds　up　to　only　about　650；000　hours。　and　when　that　modestmilestone　flashes　past；　or　at　some　other　point　thereabouts；　for　reasons　unknown　your　atomswill　shut　you　down；　silently　disassemble；　and　go　off　to　be　other　things。　and　thats　it　for　you。

still；　you　may　rejoice　that　it　happens　at　all。　generally　speaking　in　the　universe　it　doesnt；　sofar　as　we　can　tell。　this　is　decidedly　odd　because　the　atoms　that　so　liberally　and　congeniallyflock　together　to　form　living　things　on　earth　are　exactly　the　same　atoms　that　decline　to　do　itelsewhere。　whatever　else　it　may　be；　at　the　level　of　chemistry　life　is　curiously　mundane：

carbon；　hydrogen；　oxygen；　and　nitrogen；　a　little　calcium；　a　dash　of　sulfur；　a　light　dusting　ofother　very　ordinary　elements…nothing　you　wouldnt　find　in　any　ordinary　drugstore…and　thatsall　you　need。　the　only　thing　special　about　the　atoms　that　make　you　is　that　they　make　you。

that　is　of　course　the　miracle　of　life。

whether　or　not　atoms　make　life　in　other　corners　of　the　universe；　they　make　plenty　else；indeed；　they　make　everything　else。　without　them　there　would　be　no　water　or　air　or　rocks；　nostars　and　planets；　no　distant　gassy　clouds　or　swirling　nebulae　or　any　of　the　other　things　thatmake　the　universe　so　usefully　material。　atoms　are　so　numerous　and　necessary　that　we　easilyoverlook　that　they　neednt　actually　exist　at　all。　there　is　no　law　that　requires　the　universe　to　fillitself　with　small　particles　of　matter　or　to　produce　light　and　gravity　and　the　other　physicalproperties　on　which　our　existence　hinges。　there　neednt　actually　be　a　universe　at　all。　for　thelongest　time　there　wasnt。　there　were　no　atoms　and　no　universe　for　them　to　float　about　in。

there　was　nothing…nothing　at　all　anywhere。

so　thank　goodness　for　atoms。　but　the　fact　that　you　have　atoms　and　that　they　assemble　insuch　a　willing　manner　is　only　part　of　what　got　you　here。　to　be　here　now；　alive　in　the　twenty…first　century　and　smart　enough　to　know　it；　you　also　had　to　be　the　beneficiary　of　anextraordinary　string　of　biological　good　fortune。　survival　on　earth　is　a　surprisingly　trickybusiness。　of　the　billions　and　billions　of　species　of　living　thing　that　have　existed　since　thedawn　of　time；　most…99。99　percent…are　no　longer　around。　life　on　earth；　you　see；　is　not　onlybrief　but　dismayingly　tenuous。　it　is　a　curious　feature　of　our　existence　that　we　e　from　aplanet　that　is　very　good　at　promoting　life　but　even　better　at　extinguishing　it。

the　average　species　on　earth　lasts　for　only　about　four　million　years；　so　if　you　wish　to　bearound　for　billions　of　years；　you　must　be　as　fickle　as　the　atoms　that　made　you。　you　must　beprepared　to　change　everything　about　yourself…shape；　size；　color；　species　affiliation；everything…and　to　do　so　repeatedly。　t