Just because things get a little dingy at the subatomic level doesn't mean all bets are off.

What I try to do in the book is to trace the chain of relationships running from elementary particles, fundamental building blocks of matter everywhere in the universe, such as quarks, all the way to complex entities, and in particular complex adaptive system like jaguars.

I have been interested in phenomena involving complexity, diversity and evolution since I was a young boy.

I do not keep up with the details of particle physics.

I am frequently astonished that it so often results in correct predictions of experimental results.

The persistence of erroneous beliefs exacerbates the widespread anachronistic failure to recognize the urgent problems that face humanity on this planet.

Planets are too dim to be detected with existing equipment, far away, except in these very special circumstances where they're seen by their gravitational effect