Paradoxes of Evolution: How Abundance of Resources and Absence of External Threats Lead to Self-Destruction of a Species and What We Can Do About It

If a species is healthy, free of parasites, and perfectly adapted, the likelihood of its extinction is greater than for a species with many individuals suffering from parasites, deformities, and other imperfections. Of course, there’s a limit here, because parasites— as a rule—become the final nail in the coffin of a population.

This book tells about various self-organizing systems and describes the principles of evolution’s operation. And as it turns out, they are far more complex than “the fittest survive.”

When considering biological phenomena, you always need to look for the answers to two questions: “What happens to energy in this case? What happens to information in this case?” This approach leads to several surprising or strange conclusions. First, just as tango needs two, evolution requires two competing but not equilibrium factors. Second, what is small and insignificant usually contains the whole essence of transformation.

From this book, you’ll learn surprising facts about the evolution of species on planet Earth and what awaits humanity, in particular.