chemosynthesis 208, 209
chemosynthetic bacteria 208
childcare 312, 315
chimpanzees 57, 307
China 332, 333
chlamydia 184
chlorine trifluoride 121–2
chloroplasts 241
chromosomes 181, 232
haploid 232
X 182–3
Y 182
cities, first 300, 324–5, 334–5
citric acid cycle 208
civilizations 402
collapsed 337–8
rise of 305
climate change 322–3, 324, 331, 337–8
climate cycles 154
clones 241
coal 8, 250–1, 402
coco-de-mer palm 28, 29–31
collagen 126–7, 178–9
collagenase 127
coma 269
comets 140
common ancestors 216, 217–20
communication 300, 301, 412
competition 209–10, 214, 397
complex animal life, evolution 247–53
compounds, formation of 103
computer simulations 85, 211, 285, 391, 416
computers, comparison with the brain 385, 388
concentration gradients 243
conception 242
congenital analgesia 294
consciousness 259
in animals 262–3, 263, 265, 267, 269–70, 294–5
the brain and 264, 265, 270–85
and decision-making 266–7, 285–92
difficulty in studying 261–2
evolution of 293–6, 400
experiments on 263
of feeling human 260–3
hard problem of 261–2, 264, 271
level of 265, 269
measuring 267–70
and memory 265–6, 280–1
quantum mechanics role in 385
sense of self 262
understanding 263–70
Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN) 7
conspiracy theories 22, 370–2
cosmic microwave radiation 87–8, 89, 90, 111–12
Coulson, Sonya 11, 77, 225, 270–1, 288, 291, 356–7, 358, 360
Coulson, Sophie 77–8, 236
Coulson, Tim 11–16, 341
being me 265–7
best friend 288
book-writing project 192–5
cerebral malaria 13–14, 365, 367, 403
chemistry reports 97
decision to become scientist 14
Department of Biology role 290–2
educational environment 362–5
fixation with disease, vaccines and prescription drugs 97–9
focus on processes 374–6
gap year 364
height 342
Institute of Zoology position 223–7
lack of faith tested 419–20
loss of religion 405–6, 411
motivation 15
ocular albinism 180–1, 345–6, 348–9, 362, 371
parents 362
personal narrative 361–8, 369–70
personality traits 361–8, 402–3
Ph.D. studies 142–3, 223, 386
questions 24
reading 59
running ability 342
school chemistry lessons 112
science fixation 24, 59–60
scientific mentors 142–3
and sense of fulfilment in work 289–92
time in Africa 12–13, 365
university education 12, 141–3, 364–5
what if? 367
covalent bonds 119–20, 123, 126
COVID pandemic 99, 203–5
Crawley, Mick 142–3
creation myths 420
Cretaceous geological epoch 146
crop yields 8
crystals, supernatural properties 404
Curie, Marie 3, 103
cyanobacteria 134, 163, 173, 238–9, 297, 398
dark energy 69, 83–4, 414
dark matter 83–4, 414
Darwin, Charles 3, 37, 408
data, need for more 389
data analysis 44–7
data collection 43–4
data creation 42–3
data science 42–3
data simulation 366–7
Davy, Humphry 102
death 246, 260, 261
causes of 226–7
inevitability of 408
risk reduction 255
decision-making 266–7, 270–1, 285–7, 303
and happiness 287–92
decision-making theory 286–7
deer-exclusion treatments 27–8
deity beliefs 404–7, 411–12, 413, 419–20
deleterious mutations 229
Democritus 101
Denisovans 35, 41–2, 316, 323–4, 327
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) 35–42, 37, 43–4, 100, 123–4, 170, 171, 176–88, 201, 209, 219, 396–7
break down 232–3
chromosomes 181–2
contamination 39
degradation 39
differences in 180
flipped 231
genetic sequences 176–7, 177–8
instructions 171, 177–8
junk DNA 230
molecular building blocks 176
mutations 180–1, 228–32
nucleobases 176
Okazaki fragments 184–5
oldest found 233
organization 232
protein production 185–7
proteins 178–9
remarkable properties 170
replication 184–5
sequence 38, 39–42, 222–3
structure 40, 176–7, 177
switches 179–80
determinism 378–81
deterministic universe 2, 378–81, 382, 383, 388–9, 417
digestion 255–6
dinosaurs 234–5, 253
extinction of 2, 140, 146, 251
Dionisij (hermit) 35–6
discoveries, surprising 8
disease 97–9, 214
disposable soma 246, 274
distance healing 22
distances 61
DNA. see deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
dogs 222, 222, 333
down quarks 70, 71, 74
Dunbar, Robin 311
Dunbar’s number 311
dust clouds 136–7
E = mc 2 69–70
Earth, the 63, 389
age 145
asteroid and meteorite impacts 139–40, 146–7, 166–7, 197–8
atmosphere 150–2, 196, 198
atmospheric composition 151–2, 163–4, 238–9
atmospheric oxygen 163–4, 238–40, 397–8
atmospheric pressure 152
atmospheric zones 150–1, 157
axial spin 153
axial tilt 153–4
break-up of Pangea 161–2
changes 144
climate 164–6
collision with Theia 8, 146, 158, 196
crust 155, 156, 160–3
death of 92
distance from the sun 147–8
erosion 161
first humans 138
first life 138
first oceans and pools 152
formation of 135, 145, 196
geological stability 144–5
gravity field 73
greenhouse periods 164–5
history of 141, 143–4, 144–69
ice ages 164
inner core 155, 156
internal heat 157–8, 159
internal structure 155, 156, 157–61
and Jupiter’s Grand Tack 147
magnetic field 155–9
magnetic poles 158–9
mantle 155, 156, 159–60
mountains 160
orbit 66, 147, 154, 394
outer core 155, 156, 157–9
parameters 154
plate tectonics 144–5, 146, 159–63
poles 153
rock-forming minerals 159
shape 155
temperature 152–3, 164–6, 196
tidal forces 146
uniqueness 134
volcanic activity 165–6
earthquakes 161, 162
echolocation 254
educational environment 362–5
Ehman, Jerry 131
Einstein, Albert 3, 48, 69–70, 378
theory of general relativity 78–83, 392
theory of special relativity 79
electrolysis 102
electromagnetic radiation 87, 89, 106
electromagnetism 65–6, 67, 71, 72–3, 84, 94, 104, 134, 391
and chemical reactions 96–7, 128
emergence of 87
force field 72–3
strength of 129
electrons 62, 64, 65, 67, 70, 74, 84, 94, 100–1
and chemical reactions 117–19
discovery of 103
electric charge 104
energy level 115, 116–17, 117
formation of 6, 87
hydrogen 113–15, 115
orbitals 114–16
spin 115
unbound 72
wave function 108, 113–15, 115
electrostatic bonds 118, 126
electroweak epoch 86–7
elements
historical understanding 101–3
human-produced 100
and life 122
periodic table arrangement 100–1, 102–3, 103–4
physical properties 105
radioactive 65
reactivity 104–5
stable 72
emergence-of-life chemists 209
Emma-Steve (emu) 235–7
Empedocles 101–3
emu chicks 235–7
Enceladus 149, 149–50, 395
endocytosis 217
endorphins 412
endothermic reactions 124