Tag: fitness
Nature’s Magic and Its Breathtaking Parsimony
Without this ensemble of fitness in nature, there would be no wood, no fire, no metallurgy, no modern technology.
The Amazing Circulation System of Trees
Clearly, unless water can be drawn several meters up the conduits in their tree trunks, large woody trees would be impossible.
The Role of Lignin for Fire, Explained
Without lignin, there would be no woody plants, no wood, no coal, no charcoal, no fire, no pottery, and certainly no iron or metallurgy.
In Praise of Copper, a Gift from Nature
If the conductivity of copper were ten times less, wires would have to be ten times the cross-sectional area to provide the same conductivity.
Why Do We Not Spontaneously Combust?
James Lovelock has pointed out that atmospheric levels of oxygen much above about 25 percent, let alone 30 percent, would cause raging conflagrations today.