Evolution of Life

$69.95

Featuring Richard Dawkins

There can be nothing more amazing than the means by which life developed on earth. Its explanation has been evolutionary theory's greatest success. Dr Richard Dawkins, distinguished evolutionary biologist and bestselling author, now uses the power of CD-ROM to reveal the secrets of life.

We encounter the evo-dome, the extraordinary museum built by the last humans as a celebration of nature of life, and designed with customary arrogance to guide other species along the journey. Its curator is Dawkins and he tells their story. Starting with the natural world, he shows how the baroque extravaganza of life today evolved from the universe's first replicators' and explains how the blind forces of natural selection have sculpted organisms of dazzling complexity and beauty. Why do camels have humps? Why doesn't malaria affect mosquitoes? And how has beauty evolved?

Computer simulations provide interactive demonstrations of evolutionary progress and the beautiful photographic content enhances the sense of wonder in Dawkins' depictions of nature. Extensive extracts of Dawkins' best-selling book, The Blind Watchmaker, contribute to the impressive database. At the heart of the disc lies an evolutionary engine which uses the latest techniques from genetic algorithm programming. This program enables users to create strange and beautiful creatures, by evolving animated 3d models on screen.

Published in Australia by CSIRO, this new CD-ROM is an ideal resource for biology classes and anybody interested in the evolutionary concepts in nature. Available now for Mac OS and Windows CD-ROM.