Humanology: A Scientist's Guide to Our Amazing Existence

Description

Taking us on an incredible journey across centuries and galaxies, accompanied by his characteristic wit, Professor Luke O’Neill explains how it all began, how it all will end and everything in between. Readers will benefit from Luke’s insatiable curiosity for life when they dive into this ultimate journey through life and death. Among many fascinating facts, you’ll discover the science behind how we got to be so smart, why sex with a caveman was a good idea, the science of finding love, why we follow religions, and how robots will become part of everyday life. Humanology is a humbling reminder that we’re just a small speck in a big universe – so sit back and embrace the adventure. 'A man who can explain 4.2 billion years of life on Earth and make me laugh at the same time – sheer genius. 'Pat Kenny, Newstalk' Cover Title Page Dedication Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Welcome O Life! How life got started Chapter 2: How we got to be so smart and why sex with a caveman was a good idea Chapter 3: I want you, I want you so bad: the science of finding love Chapter 4: Sperm meets egg: the science of fertility Chapter 5: Irish mammies got it right Chapter 6: I am what I am: the science of gender and sexual orientation Chapter 7: The God invention Chapter 8: Here’s a good one: why do we laugh? Chapter 9: I got the music in me: why do we listen to music? Chapter 10: Sleep and the daily rhythms of life Chapter 11: Our desperate relationship with food Chapter 12: Superhumans real and imagined Chapter 13: Are the robots coming to save us or enslave us? Chapter 14: The biggest and most expensive machines ever built Chapter 15: Will we stop all diseases? Chapter 16: Why you shouldn’t worry about getting old Chapter 17: Don’t fear the Reaper: death and beyond Chapter 18: Defying death Chapter 19: Will we become extinct? Chapter 20: Things will only get better Endnotes Acknowledgements Copyright About the Author About Gill Books