Jacques Cousteau

Introduction: Youth of LifeThe development of the theory of evolution began with the question, "Where did I come from?" It is understandable that early man believed that he had been "created." How could he have guessed the age of the earth and understood fossils as the history of life recorded in...

Introduction: The Planet is on FireFlying in a private plane over any continent today is a terrifying experience. In summer, Africa is burning solid. At night, from an altitude of 10,000 feet, you may count as many as 25 simultaneous fires, some of them enormous. The myth of the "beneficent" brush...

Introduction: It's a Hard Life"Nature red in tooth and claw"?Civilization has the fundamental ambition of introducing a degree of order into the primeval struggle for existence. But to this day man has only succeeded in drawing a curtain between life's harsher manifestations and certain of our...

Introduction: Birth of ConsciousnessAmong the denizens of the sea the gladiator orca is about the ultimate in beauty and efficiency. The orca is the marine mammal that inspired fear in sailors and whalers and was nicknamed the "killer whale." Herbert Ponting, photographer of Scott's expedition to...

Introduction: Dying for SurvivalImagine an immortal animal. Evolution so fashioned his glands and organs that his parts replace themselves as soon as they cease to function. His teeth may wear down or be knocked out, but he always has another set handy. His joints never suffer from arthritis; his...

Introduction: Birth of ConsciousnessAmong the denizens of the sea the gladiator orca is about the ultimate in beauty and efficiency. The orca is the marine mammal that inspired fear in sailors and whalers and was nicknamed the "killer whale." Herbert Ponting, photographer of Scott's expedition to...

INTRODUCTION The Third Infinity Twenty-seven years ago, I wanted to keep an eye permanently open into the oceans, so I equipped the bow of my new ship Calypso with an underwater observation chamber. At that time, I was convinced that the oceans were immense, teeming with life,rich in resources...