Abstract
A species able to magnify its entropy effect in nature by orders of magnitude, as the genus Homo has done through mastery of fire and the splitting of the atom, needs to be a perfectly wise and controlled species, lest its invention gets out of hand.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Broecker W (1987) Unpleasant surprises in the greenhouse?. Nature 328:123–126
Camus A (1942) The myth of sisyphus. Alfred A Knopf, New York, p 120
de Silva JRF, Williams RJP (1991) The biological chemistry of the elements. Clarendon Press, Oxford
Grossman E (2011) Radioactivity in the ocean: diluted, but far from harmless. Environment 360. http://e360.yale.edu/feature/radioactivity_in_the_ocean_diluted_but_far_from_harmless/2391/
Hadron Collider (2008) LHC switch-on fears are completely unfounded. The Institute of Physics. PR 48(08). 5 Sept 2008
Koestler A (1986) Janus: a summing up. Picador Books, London
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Glikson, A.Y. (2014). Homo Prometheus. In: Evolution of the Atmosphere, Fire and the Anthropocene Climate Event Horizon. SpringerBriefs in Earth Sciences. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7332-5_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7332-5_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-7331-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-7332-5
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)