SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

The creator of the Gaia theory and great environmental thinker, James Lovelock, has produced a groundbreaking new theory about the future of life on Earth. He argues that the anthropocentric age, during which humans acquired technologies on a global scale, is nearing its end after three centuries. A new age - the novacene - has already begun.

New beings will emerge from existing artificial intelligence systems. They will think 10,000 times faster than us and will regard us as we currently regard plants. The fierce, violent takeover by machines imagined by science fiction writers will not happen: these super-intelligent beings will be as dependent on the health of the planet as we are. They will need Gaia's cooling system to protect themselves from the sun's increasing heat. Gaia depends on organic life. We will be partners in this plan. It is critical, Lovelock argues, for Earth's intelligence to survive and prosper. Right now, we are the only beings capable of understanding the universe, but he suggests that the novacene could be the beginning of a process that will see intelligence diffuse throughout the universe. At the age of 100, Lovelock has produced the most compelling work of his life.

Pages: 160, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm