Gaia hypothesis
E37744
Earth system science concept
ecological theory
environmental philosophy concept
scientific hypothesis
The Gaia hypothesis is a scientific theory proposing that Earth’s living organisms and their inorganic surroundings interact to form a self-regulating, complex system that helps maintain conditions suitable for life.
Aliases (3)
Statements (53)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Earth system science concept
→
ecological theory → environmental philosophy concept → scientific hypothesis → |
| associatedWith |
James Lovelock’s atmospheric research
→
Lynn Margulis’s work on symbiosis → |
| coDevelopedBy |
Lynn Margulis
→
|
| criticizedBy |
some climatologists
→
some evolutionary biologists → |
| criticizedFor |
organismic metaphors
→
teleological implications → |
| DaisyworldModelUsedFor |
illustrating climate self-regulation by life
→
|
| defendedBy |
James Lovelock
→
Lynn Margulis → |
| developedBy |
James Lovelock
→
|
| emphasizes |
feedback loops between life and environment
→
self-regulation of planetary conditions → |
| field |
Earth system science
→
climatology → ecology → environmental science → geophysiology → philosophy of biology → |
| firstFormulatedBy |
James Lovelock
→
|
| focusesOn |
interaction between biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere
→
|
| hasModel |
Daisyworld model
→
|
| hasVersion |
strong Gaia hypothesis
→
weak Gaia hypothesis → |
| influenced |
Earth system science
→
deep ecology movement → environmental ethics → global change research → sustainability discourse → |
| influencedBy |
cybernetics
→
ecology → systems theory → |
| namedAfter |
Gaia
→
Greek personification of Earth → |
| originatedIn |
1960s
→
|
| proposes |
Earth and its biosphere form a self-regulating system
→
Earth maintains conditions suitable for life through feedback mechanisms → living organisms interact with inorganic surroundings to regulate Earth’s environment → |
| publication |
Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth
→
|
| publicationAuthor |
James Lovelock
→
|
| publicationYear |
1979
→
|
| relatedTo |
biogeochemical cycles
→
carbon cycle regulation → climate regulation by life → homeostasis → planetary habitability → |
| status |
influential but controversial in mainstream science
→
|
| strongVersionClaims |
Earth behaves like a single living organism
→
|
| weakVersionClaims |
life significantly influences Earth’s environment
→
|
Referenced by (18)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth
→
Novacene: The Coming Age of Hyperintelligence → Slanted Truths: Essays on Gaia, Symbiosis, and Evolution ("Gaia theory") → The Ages of Gaia → The Vanishing Face of Gaia → |
mainSubject |
|
The Ages of Gaia
→
|
basedOn |
|
The Vanishing Face of Gaia
("Gaia theory")
→
|
buildsOn |
|
Gaia hypothesis
("Daisyworld model")
→
|
hasModel |
|
Gaia hypothesis
("weak Gaia hypothesis")
→
|
hasVersion |
|
Dorion Sagan
→
|
hasWrittenAbout |
|
James Lovelock
→
|
knownFor |
|
James Lovelock
→
|
notableFor |
|
James Lovelock
→
|
proposedTheory |
|
Microcosmos: Four Billion Years of Microbial Evolution
→
|
relatedTo |
|
What Is Life?
→
|
relatedWork |
|
Tyler Volk
→
|
researchInterest |
|
Lynn Petra Alexander
→
|
supportedTheory |
|
Dorian Sagan
→
|
writesAbout |