Contents

List of Illustrations

Preface

Introduction

PART I. DEEP TIME

The Abyss of Time

A Great Mistake Has Been Made

The Bank of Time

Account Overdrawn

Strange Rays

An Hourglass of Great Precision

Geochronology

Duck Soup

PART II. CONTINENTAL DRIFT AND PLATE TECTONICS

An Idea to Pursue

A Very Trusting Man

Dead on Arrival

Geologists Unite Against Heresy

Continental Drift: Not Even Wrong

Postwar Surprises

Wandering Poles or Drifting Continents?

The Final Confrontation

Spreading Seafloors

HypotHESSes

The Discovery of the Century

All This Rubbish

PART III. METEORITE IMPACT

A Trivial Process

To Hunt a Star

The Moon’s Face

Rosetta Stone

To a Rocky Moon

Worlds in Collision

Dinosaur Killer

Out with a Bang

Cosmic Pinball

PART IV. GLOBAL WARMING

Origins of the CO₂ Theory

Tedious Calculations of Extraordinary Interest

Destructive Criticism

A Unique Experiment of Planetary Dimensions

Giant Brains

Warming Is Unequivocal

From Heresy to Truth

Acknowledgments

Notes

Recommended Reading

Bibliography

Index