The feathered onion - Clive Trotman

Over the past 150 years the acknowledged dates for the formation of the Earth and the origin of life have been pushed steadily back – further and further into the remote past. As these timescales have lengthened however, the interval between the two dates has diminished to such an extent that we're left with a serious conundrum: The interval between the formation of the Earth (or at least a surface capable of supporting life) and the appearance of life is simply too short for life to have evolved from scratch.

Could life on Earth really have developed so rapidly? Is the Earth older than we think? Or did life originate elsewhere and then find its way to our planet? Has it always been a phenomenon of the universe rather than only our unremarkable planet? In this fascinating book Clive Trotman uses the latest scientific research to explore these questions and the origins of life in the universe.

Dr Clive Trotman
is well–known for his work on organisms that survive at the extremes of life. He has been published in leading scientific journals and is a Fellow of the Institute of Biology. He takes an interest in the history of science and has written many articles on antique gadgets and instruments for an Australian antiques magazine; he is also a qualified arbitrator dealing with scientific and intellectual property disputes.He was recently awarded a Doctorate of Science by Brunel University,. London.

"...isn't just a book about scientific thinking: this is a book about how scientists think...much the better for it..." (Guardian, 29 July 2004)

"...Trotman's thoughts are ingenious and plausible, and his analysis of hard questions about the subject is insightful..." (Focus, November 04)

"...a courageous, ingenious and successful attempt to identify irreducible complexity as the essence of life...a pleasure to read..." (www.home.planet.nl 23^rd November 2004)

"...very good presentation with thought–provoking ideas about the origins of life..." (www.drydredges.org)

"…well–produced and interesting stuff…" ( The Biologist , July 2006)