Why Are We Here?: The Story of the Origin, Evolution, and Future of Life on Our Planet

From the big bang, to the origin and evolution of intelligent life in a search for the meaning of human existence, Why are We Here?, by author Bruce Brodie, offers a look at evolution and the future of life on the planet. Through many years of research and study, Brodie addresses a host of questions: • How did chemistry come to life? • How did the release of oxygen by cyanobacteria change the natural history of life? • How did mass extinctions reset the clock and reshape the course of biological evolution? • Why are homo sapiens so dominant? • Why do humans build vast civilizations, while chimps, with whom we share more than 98 percent of our DNA, are confined to forests and experimental laboratories and zoos? • How will cultural and technological evolution, which have transcended the slow pace of biological evolution, shape the future of life on the planet? • Can we escape the many existential threats that hover over us? Why are We Here? offers a new perspective on how we think about the world, and our place and our purpose in the universe and the future of humanity. It presents a lasting sense of the amazing wonder and mystery of life.

Bruce Brodie is a retired clinical professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina and co-founder and past chairman of the LeBauer-Brodie Center for Cardiovascular Research and Education at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has been a leader in research in the treatment of heart attacks and has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts in leading cardiology journals.