| Summary: | The 26 scientific papers explore the chemical, geophysical, biochemical, biophysical, and chiral aspects of self-organization that led to the beginning of life and underlie its increasing complexity. Among their topics are the physicochemical origins of the genetic code, the oldest fossils, experimental attempts to create life-mimicking cells, designing a biosphere for Mars, and cosmological sources of molecular chirality. Being addressed to a multidisciplinary audience, they are easily accessible to nonspecialists. Other papers and a bibliography celebrate the work of Cyril Ponnamperuma, a chemist at the University of Maryland. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
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