The Vital Question
Nick Lane
21 people recommended it in 16 threads, 2015–2022.
What people on Hacker News said
The Vital Question: good overview of origin of life research.
The Vital Question - Made me realize how lucky we as humans and complex cellular beings are to even exist.
"The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Life" - It connected a lot of interesting dots and provided for me what I consider the first plausible process by which life could arise out of the soup.
If you're interested in biology and the origins of life, it makes some provocative claims, and backs them up. If this doesn't change how you think about life on earth (and elsewhere), I don't know what will...
The Vital Question - An explanation of the genesis of complex life through bioenergetics. Explains why complex life is likely very rare in the universe.
The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life by Nick Lane is not really about the mind, but it is about the things that lead up to the contemporary mind and is consistently fascinating, even for me who has no biology / biochemistry background.
Where it comes up
- My Favorite Books of 2016 2016 · 3 recommendations
- Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before? 2020 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time? 2018 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: Books you read in 2016? 2016 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: Which book can attract anyone towards your field of study? 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Books you plan to read in 2020? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2019? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- YC’s 2018 Summer Reading List 2018 · 1 recommendation
- My new favorite book of all time 2018 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Books you read in 2017? 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What was the best book you read in 2016? 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What good books have you read lately? 2016 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift? 2016 · 1 recommendation
- Alan Kay's reading list 2016 · 1 recommendation
- The Best Books I Read in 2015 2015 · 1 recommendation