A Review of The Evolution of Life: Big Bang to Space Colonies by Richard M. Anderson

 (Precocity Press, 2022). ISBN: 979-8-9851494-6-3

A 2023 Nautilus Silver Award Winner, this ambitious text (apt that it is published by a press called Precocity) encapsulates the evolution of life from the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago to the present, before postulating at length about the possibilities and pitfalls of colonizing space, the Moon, and, far less likely, Mars.

With Space X sending up another rocket as I write this review and Disclosure in the news cycle at an unprecedented, eye-opening level, coinciding with a UAP/drone mystery that held America enrapt through the holidays, the subject of colonizing space is certainly topical and worthy of our attention and consideration.

After earning an MA in microbiology, Richard M. Anderson went on to a distinguished career as a clinical laboratory bioanalyst, and he brings considerable knowledge to bear over the course of 326 pages. Armed with Anderson’s table of extinction and evolution events (which has a companion table, 12.1), numerous additional tables and figures, and a 10-page glossary, I was able to navigate the book fairly well, although it is heavy on scientific principles, processes, and terms. This is as it should be—the Universe, as well as human evolution, are inescapably complex.

Rather than take you through an encapsulation of 13.8 billion years of history (of which only 500,000 years include the story of Homo sapiens), this review will highlight what I found to be the most fascinating subjects within the pages of The Evolution of Life. I have chosen a broad-based set of examples to give you a good idea of the overall contents.

After providing a strong foundation in the early creation of the Universe, the essential natural of water, key elements (including an exploration of the Periodic Table of Elements), and early formation of cells and organisms (including fascinating theories regarding hydrothermal pools, entropy, and the nature of DNA), Richardson spends a fair amount of time on Darwinism. Given that Darwin has been in some ways misunderstood, in other ways purposely distorted, and that he did not get everything “right,” it is always interesting to read various authors’ interpretations of notions such as “survival of the fittest” and the rest of Darwin’s theories. A highlight of this section is the discussion of symbiotic relationships— especially three specific examples. First are the interlocking benefits between the clownfish, sea anemone, and various small invertebrates. The second is how the production of a hallucinogenic substance by a fungus affects the feeding and mating habits of cicadas. The third is the way a certain parasite, which only breeds in domestic cats, infects rats so that they become unafraid of the smell of cat urine. Because of this lack of fear, more rats interact with cats, cats eat more rats, and the parasites continue to have a plentiful amount of healthy hosts for their breeding.

Having overcome (or at least made manageable) several debilitating symptoms of long COVID, in part by using a daily regime of digestive enzymes and Acidophilus probiotic (I am in no way endorsing this as a remedy for anyone but myself), I am continually reading about gut health and its effect on the body and mind. Richardson’s contribution to the subject is essential reading.

Chapter 14, “Big Brains, Structured Thinking,” is a highlight of the book, as it goes well beyond structural mapping and definitions of the work of the various parts of the brain, into subjects such as OCD and environmental effects on the brain, which can be considerable. On the chapter on social evolution, a comparative study of chimpanzees and bonobos is enlightening and instructive.

The middle section of the book explores the central position of science in society, including “corrupting influences” such as corporate interests and profits, misinformation, and suppression of information. Richardson’s key example is the decades-long battle to have lead removed from gasoline, as it was doing considerable physiological harm to the public, including the lowering of the average IQ. Corporate interests suppressed the science for far too long in order to maximize profits. Having written a one-woman educational theatre piece about Rachel Carson, her battle against pesticides quickly came to mind. There are countless other examples. Suppression of research in our universities and laboratories that corporations find unhealthy for their bottom lines is equally concerning because of the weaponization of funding and tenure and the practice of character assassination, which we have seen with the first group of scientists to sound the alarm regarding global warming and climate change.

The author is unflinching in his look at Earth’s most pressing problems, including overpopulation and the decimation of species resulting from environmental exploitation and degradation. If you take a moment to revisit the paragraph above on the delicate relationships between organisms, I am confident you will agree that untold damage is being done to symbiotic relationships with every extinction, many of which directly affect humanity. Anderson’s recommendations for saving the planet are far-reaching and essential, as the challenges are myriad and increasing exponentially with each passing day.

Bookending the core material in The Evolution of Life are a brief introduction and then extended section to end the book on possible space colonization. Starting from NASA renderings of what this might look like, the author details requirements for construction, the hazards of living in space, the feasibility of going to Mars, sustaining life (food production, medical science, pharmaceuticals), and how Earth might benefit from these colonies (there would eventually and by necessity be more than one). Anderson then goes on to consider what space civilizations need to survive and to thrive. Like Elon Musk, he thinks they will be very different than the violent and non-cooperative societies and nation-states that have put the Earth in peril and outlines the ideal makeup of these space civilizations and how their success can be ensured. Subsections include governance, space children, crime, and the drive to develop the perfect person.

The final chapter is Parting Thoughts, which serves as a summation of the book’s far-ranging history of the Universe, life on Earth, humans, society, and our uncertain future.

The breadth of material considered and depth of knowledge expressed in these 326 pages truly is impressive.