Four and a half billion years ago, the young Earth was a hellish place—a seething chaos of meteorite impacts, volcanoes belching noxious gases, and lightning flashing through a thin, torrid atmosphere. Then, in a process that has puzzled scientists for decades, life emerged. But how? Mineralogist Robert Hazen as he journeys around the globe. From an ancient Moroccan market to the Australian Outback, he advances a startling and counterintuitive idea—that the rocks beneath our feet were not only essential to jump-starting life, but that microbial life helped give birth to hundreds of minerals we know and depend on today. It's a theory of the co-evolution of Earth and life that is reshaping the grand-narrative of our planet’s story.

"What is the TalkOrigins Foundation?"

The TalkOrigins Foundation, Inc., is a Texas nonprofit corporation created on April 26, 2004. The Foundation is intended to provide a mechanism to cover the cost of hosting and maintaining the TalkOrigins Archive and its related sites (Talkdesign.org, The Panda's Thumb) through grants, contributions, and other revenues.

"How does the Foundation differ from the TalkOrigins Archive?"

The TalkOrigins Archive is this web site. It has been in existence for over a decade, providing mainstream scientific information about biological and physical origins. The Archive is maintained by volunteers and contains articles written by various contributors to the talk.origins Usenet newsgroup.

In contrast, the TalkOrigins Foundation is a nonprofit corporation created to support the Archive.

"Who runs the Foundation?"

Wesley Elsberry is the Foundation's President, and John Wilkins is its Vice-President. Kenneth Fair is the Foundation's Secretary-Treasurer. The three of them are also the Foundation's initial directors.

"Can I join the Foundation?"

At this time, the Foundation does not have members (unlike, say, the National Center for Science Education). At some future point, the Foundation may have members. We'll let you know.