How Light Makes Life: The Hidden Wonders and World-Saving Powers of Photosynthesis

It's a clunky word for a miracle: Photosynthesis. But there's no life on Earth without it. For biologist Raffael Jovine, it's a consuming passion, a great unsung force of nature. He makes his case in How Light Makes Life, a catalog of living wonders--and a blueprint for a better planet.

Imagine harvesting pure sunlight to use as fuel, while turning carbon dioxide into breathable oxygen. This is what a leaf does every day. And photosynthesis isn't just for plants: Corals partner with photosynthetic organisms to create the most productive habitat on Earth. Slugs eat chloroplasts as natural green camouflage. Hornets use photosynthesis as an innovative means of air-conditioning--and much more!

The revelatory vision of How Light Makes Life is how we ourselves might harness the power of photosynthesis: to repair ecosystems, stabilize the climate, and grow more food sustainably. On this vivid journey, you'll see how every seed contains the key to our future--through the photosynthetic pigments in your own eyes!

ISBN-13: 9781615198634

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: The Experiment - LLC

Publication Date: 06-21-2022

Pages: 224

Product Dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)

Raffael Jovine trained in molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale, did his PhD in marine sciences at UC Santa Barbara, then completed research at MIT. In 2013, he founded and is now chief scientist for a company that uses seawater, sunlight, and wind to grow food in coastal deserts, replicating algal blooms. He is married with five children and lives in London.

Table of Contents

Prologue 7

Why write about photosynthesis? 9

Chapter 1 What Is Photosynthesis? 19

Discovery 20

Mystics, priests, and physicians 22

Feeding the masses, fueling the revolution 29

Chapter 2 Sun-Powered Changes to Earth 41

In the beginning 41

The "Great Oxygenation Event" (and a near-death moment) 46

Planetary rebound 50

The other essential ingredients for life 55

Chapter 3 The Photo Synthesizers 65

Our new friends, bacteria! photosynthesizers 67

Working together 70

Creating ecosystems 73

Not so tiny photosynthesizers 79

Why these new forms of photosynthesis matter 89

Chapter 4 The Planet's Very Thin and Living Veneer 91

Can we use photosynthesizers to rebalance our world? 103

Chapter 5 Good News … and Bad 109

The agricultural miracle 109

Why wild animals matter 128

The opposite of an ice age 132

Why politics matters, too 142

Chapter 6 How Photosynthesis Can Save the World 147

The bottom line-or "what's in it for us" 147

Bigger crops and "pastural care" 156

A revolutionary new product 167

Greening coastal deserts and other seaside tales 175

Can we improve photosynthesis? 186

Chapter 7 Harvest the Light 191

We can be the solution 200

Notes 211

Acknowledgments 221

Index 223

About the Author 240