The Earth is teeming with life: in the oceans, in the forests, in the sky, and in its cities. At the heart of biology, however, lies a black hole: We do not know why complex forms of life are the way they are and, essentially, how exactly life originated.
In “The Vital Question,” Nick Lane, Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry at the Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment at University College London (UCL), radically redefines the history of evolution, proposing an intriguing solution to puzzles that have puzzled generations of scientists.
For 2.5 billion years since the emergence of life, single-celled organisms like bacteria evolved without any change in their basic form. Then, in a unique moment in a timeline of 4 billion years, they made the leap to complexity. All complex forms of life, from fungi to humans, share many properties not found in bacteria.
How and why did this radical transformation occur? The answer, Lane argues, lies in energy: every form of life on Earth exists due to an electrical potential (a voltage difference). Building on the foundations of evolutionary theory, Lane utilizes findings from groundbreaking research focusing on the relationship between energy and cellular biology to formulate a compelling view of evolution from the origins of life to the creation of multicellular organisms, while simultaneously providing valuable insights into life and death.
By unraveling scientific mysteries and clarifying the peculiarities of life, his explanation provides an answer to the vital question: Why are we the way we are and why are we here?
