Daisyworld, the Imaginary Planet - Coursework Example

The Gaia hypothesis (Lovelock, 1972, 1979, 1988) came into the scene with the problem of determining the possibilities of life on Mars. To carry out the experiments, it was neither easy nor necessary according to Hitchcock and Lovelock (1966), to go to Mars. They claimed that all that was required is the determination of the composition of the atmosphere of Mars. The atmosphere of Mars should be at chemical equilibrium (which is true) in the absence of any form of life on the planet. Similarly, if the atmosphere were not at equilibrium just like Earth, then this would strongly support the possibility of life on Mars.

Lovelock believed that the Planet Earth should be studied as an organism due to the analysis that the general activity of the planet can effectively indicate the existence of life on it. The characteristic properties exhibited by living things like respiration, metabolism, self-regulation, irritability and reproduction can be studied for the determination of life. To consider earth as an organism is just a matter of choice of great researchers but it certainly posses many properties similar to organisms.

The key objections that have been raised to the Gaia hypothesis are based on the evolution theory. Arguments are there on the consideration of Earth as an organism believing that organism properties arise only through natural selection. There is no particular mechanism so that the Earth can maintain favourable conditions for the biota and hence there is no need to consider the matter (Dawkins, 1982). Continuous arguments were present about the evolution. During the early years of the nineteenth century, there was enough evidence to support the belief that the Earth has undergone numerous changes right from its formation and hence the species which we observe are not the same as they used to be in their initial years.

A plausible scientific mechanism for adaptation suggested by Charles Darwin was a milestone and has brought remarkable changes.