The Wonder of Water: Water's Profound Fitness for Life on Earth and Mankind (Privileged Species Series)

“To see a World in a Grain of SandAnd a Heaven in a Wild FlowerHold Infinity in the palm of your handAnd Eternity in an hour”— William BlakeThis famous poetic vision is cited in the conclusion. Nevertheless, the vast majority (all) of the pages are chemical, mathematical, historic, molecular, geologic presentation.Great!“We glimpse the first example of what may only be described as the transcending fitness of water for life as it exists on Earth. Contrast this with our own artifactual designs, where key commodities such as gasoline or food or clothes can only be delivered to where they are needed by extraneous delivery systems like trains and trucks. Gasoline will not transport and deliver itself to filling stations, nor clothes to shopping malls.’’Right! So . . . ?“But the delivery of water to terrestrial ecosystems depends almost entirely on the intrinsic properties of water itself.’’This explanation of water attempts — and succeeds — in persuading us think of water (so . . . so . . . ordinary) as a substance extraordinary, even transcendent!For example . . .“Water’s unique diversity of forms, from waterfalls to icicles, is due to a unique and fascinating property:Water can exist as a solid, liquid, and gas in the ambient conditions that exist on the surface of the Earth. All other natural substances on Earth—including the various mineral constituents of the rocks and the gases of the atmosphere—exist only as one form of matter in ambient conditions. As Philip Ball comments,“Almost all of the non-aqueous fabric of our planet remains in the same physical state. The oxygen and nitrogen of the air do not condense; the rock, sands, and soils do not melt… or evaporate.”Nothing more obvious — and nothing more significant! Why?“The very existence of a hydrological cycle is a consequence of water’s unique ability to exist in more than one physical state—solid, liquid, or gas—under the conditions that prevail at the surface of the planet.”Of all known substances, only water is fit for the hydrological cycle, the delivery system of water to land-based life.’’What is the amount of water moved each day?“Each 3100 years, a volume of water equivalent to all the oceans passes through the atmosphere, carried there by evaporation and moved by precipitation… the Sun’s heat removes from the oceans the equivalent of three feet in depth each year—875 cubic kilometers in total every day. Remarkable though the cycle is, its exceptional nature is seldom acknowledged.(well . . . me too)“This cycle of evaporation and condensation has come to seem so perfectly natural that we never think to remark on why no other substances display such transformations.”Right! Why? Well . . .“Water’s properties are fit as delivery man, quarry master, and storekeeper for land-based life, all in one! This is not mere everyday design, analogous to that seen in human technology; this is design of a transcending elegance and parsimony.1 THE WATER WHEEL2 TECTONIC RECYCLING3 PRESERVING THE OCEAN4 THE CLIMATE MACHINE5 WATER, TREES, AND LIGHT6 WATER AND HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY7 WATER AND THE CELLOutstanding is the chapter on trees . . .“An obvious question arises: Why does the column of water not break into pieces as it is tugged from above? The answer lies in the cohesiveness of liquids mentioned earlier, more pronounced in water than in most other common fluids. Water’s hydrogen bonded network at work again! And because of this property of water columns, although the notion is very counter intuitive, water in the conduits has tensile strength.’’‘Tensile strength’? Like steel?“ . . . although steel is stronger, it is only ten times as strong! It is this very counterintuitive tensile strength of fluids—especially water—that allows the negative pressure caused by the evaporation in the leaves to pull water from the roots one hundred meters up to the leaves without any breakage in the column.”( . . . water seems so . . . so . . . fragile . . .)“This remarkable mechanism, so vital to the existence of large trees, depends critically on two basic physical properties of water as a fluid: its tensile strength, which means the “pull of evaporation” will not break the water column; and the enormous surface tension generated by water in very narrow tubes or passages. The mechanism represents a unique and stunningly brilliant solution to the problem of raising water to the top of large trees. Significantly, no conceivable alternative will work. Vogel in his The Life of a Leaf waxes lyrical in contemplating the way it’s done:( . . . no conceivable alternative . . . )“The pumping system has no moving parts, costs the plant no metabolic energy, moves more water than all the circulatory systems of animals combined, does so against far higher resistance, and depends on a mechanism with no close analogy in human technology.”‘No similar human science’ Wow!Writing is persuasive and pleasant. Focuses on the science and evidence. Nevertheless, tactfully indicates the ‘teleological’ implications.Reader will need interest in science and willingness to follow lines of reasoning. Nevertheless, never obscure or pedantic. Clear, respectful and insightful.I will — never think water as just an ordinary liquid — ever again!Work deserves ten stars!Thirty-five illustrations (linked to source)Wonderful!Three hundred notes (linked)Tremendous!Detailed index (linked)

Dr Denton sings the praises of water and its pivotal role in the evolution of our planet. At times the reading was a bit of slog for this lay reader, but it was worth every slow step through the scientific material. I learned a great deal and throughly enjoyed the read.

This work is outstanding in detailing, well, the wonder of water. The many wonders. The information just keeps on piling upon itself in this book. And at one point the author analogizes that one set of water's unique functions is as if clothing made itself, brought itself to the mall, set itself up for sale, AND was able to respond to the level of customer demand.At one point in the book the author quotes the scientist Szent-Györgyi*, "Life is water, dancing to the tune of solids." I love that image.The whole thing gives support to my new retort when someone wants to start an argument with me, " why should I argue with you, you are just water with a handful of organic chemicals thrown in?" Although "just" water is really not anywhere near the respect due to water. Heh.My one change would have been to add a glossary defining terms. Also, a little less repetition. But these are very minor comments, overall a staggeringly marvelous work.*a Hungarian biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937. He is credited with first isolating vitamin C and discovering the components and reactions of the citric acid cycle.He was also active in the Hungarian Resistance during World War II .

Interesting but things are repeated too many times, gives the impression that the author wants to fill more pages. Never the less very good book giving many unknown facts.

I have always wanted to write a book on water, but Denton beat me to it! In teaching biology and physics, the many unusual properties of water are often covered. It seems that water was designed for life. For this reason, finding water on other planets and moon's, is one of the first compounds looked for that indicate there may be life nearby. So far, no evidence of life has been found on the many places we looked. The world's countries have made 82 trips to the moon looking for life and signs of life since September 1959, but no evidence was found yet. Although many planets and moons we have found water, but no evidence of life, but we will keep on looking. Yet as Denton documents, water design is one of many contradictions. The problem is, even if water is found, we have to realize water is also very corrosive to life. It is the universal solvent because it is capable of dissolving more substances than any other known liquid. Water is a powerful reagent able to dissolve everything on Earth, given enough time. Water is lethal not only for life, but is a solvent for many of the precursors of life, such as sugars, carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids. For life to live, it needs a complex, well-designed system of protection against water which all animals possess. This system must exist first before an organism can deal with water. As a biologist, Denton knows this and shows how water is specially equipped to allow life to flourish. That is why we live on the water planer which is why the Earth is called the Blue planet.

A fascinating, factual, science based exploration of the myriad roles that water in its liquid, gas, and solid forms has played (and continues to play) in the geologic history of our planet, roles that are basic not only to the physical features that have made it possible for earth to support life as we know it, but also for the possibility of the very existence of life itself. That a compound like water, with its absolutely unique physical and chemical properties essential for life, could be formed out of "nothing" by pure chance is something that this book will give you a compelling reason to think about.Written in an easily readible style, it is a must for anyone with an enquiring mind.

Dr Michael Denton has written a formidable book addressing the extraordinary effect water has had on the existence of the earth, climate homeostasis and the remarkable suite of properties that synergise to allow life. Both plant and animal life are principally indebted to water’s anomalous powers and properties. In the closing chapters, Denton emphasises the particular benefits of water that cooperative uniquely for terrestrial life, for multicellular lifeand for endotherms and finally lists some unique benefits for humankind.Denton is building on an ancient line of reasoning from Aristotle through John Ray, William Whewell and Lawrence Henderson biochemist/ physiologist who wrote the Fitness of the Environment.The mere list of properties is impressive; seventy-three anomalous properties, “of which thirteen or more are of great utility for life on earth”. Whilst some molecules may rival water in single parameter, none can come close to water’s powerful ensemble. Denton highlights the reach of water across enormous dimensions, from planetary formation to the foundation of the intracellular matrix. He also notes the effect of water across time, from thousands of years in deep ocean currents to microseconds in cellular biochemistries.Denton’s factual list of water’s feats were refreshing, for example;1 Water’s solvent ability. Denton highlights the active nature of water in creating hydration shells, enabling uniform mixing and a brake on runaway reactivity.2 The preservation of liquid water over millions of years, a mandatory requirement for life. The beauty of this preservation lies in the fact that water’s own properties sustain this liquidity.3 Water’s intimate relationship with plate tectonics in recycling ions which are essential for replenishing the soil, for plant life- photosynthesis, and for our biochemistry- eg haemoglobin formation.4 Physiological dependence on water’s properties- its viscosity, incompressibility allowing a circulatory system; its latent heat of evaporation allowing us to exercise for more than a few minutes; its handling of our very high metabolic rate by its “beautiful” interaction with carbon dioxide, which not only transports and excretes CO2, but throws in the “amazingly fit” acid/ base buffer system that Henderson originally described.Here Denton could have elaborated further on the unique benefit for our physiology of water, e.g. our large brain, 1500gms being suspended in water based cerebro-spinal fluid, giving it an effective weight of only 50 grams. However, as it is, Denton covers an enormous amount of material and he recognises that this line of reasoning is by no means sterile as research continues into the nature of, for example, intracellular water.As the ontology of the gene is being recalibrated with more parity amongst e.g. epigenetics, Denton highlights the activity and structure of helical DNA and its phosphate moieties is dependent on water’s interaction with it and further, protein folding is slave to water’s balancing solvency of polar compounds, (it’s very high dielectric constant) and its hydrophobic effect. That is, protein shape is a precise interplay between water molecules and the nascent protein. The final shape determines function, thus water “forms” the protein and partly determines function.Indeed, Denton highlights the shape of every cell is determined by the cell wall, shaped secondary to its hydrophobic inner bilayer.Denton quotes the chances of ambient temperature to be as it is as 1 in 1029 of all temperatures that have existed. The ambient temperature coincidentally is exactly that at which water can exist primarily as a liquid with optional transformation into solid and vapour as well, in the ambient range. Denton says this is remarkable, and reinforces it by quoting the viscosity range to be across 1025 orders of magnitude. That water’s viscosity sits as it does allows us to exist- as thinking, moving, exercising human beings.Denton’s argument is that water and its anomalous properties are supremely fit for us, to a degree that to him appears teleological- the same conclusion reached by Henderson in the Fitness of the Environment. That this line of thinking has been suffocated in the 20th century may stem from the overuse of the idea of randomness and meaninglessness in some biological descriptions- ie non-teleological biology. But Denton’s argument is teleological, it runs parallel with the well-trodden pathways of fine tuning described in physics by Fred Hoyle who said, “a common-sense interpretation of the facts suggests…. that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature”. But Denton’s argument for fine tuning is not the abstract, perhaps distant world of physics but touches us as human beings, from our heartbeat to our eyesight.I liked Denton’s approach of presentation of the data, amassing formidable evidence before any interpretation. Denton allows us to make up our own minds, there is no forceful rhetoric here, but a reasoned presentation of facts about a substance that it is all too easy for us to take for granted.But can we as thinkers, philosophers, botanists, anthropologists, scientists, biologists or assessors of climate change intelligently pass comment on these things if we have not learned about the most basic of substances, the phenomena of water?Denton convincingly provides evidence that we must incorporate an understanding of water, not just as a long list of anomalous properties, but the apparently beautiful ensemble of articulating wheels within wheels-a silent and relentless organism, the lifeblood and servant of living things.

Water is even more amazing than I had thought.