Evolutions: Fifteen Myths That Explain Our World

Evolutions explores how scientific understanding has replaced ancient mythologies in explaining the world. Where the ancient Chinese imagined the world hatched from an egg and the Maori described creation through a love embrace, modern science uses genes, natural selection, and physics to explain phenomena from fear and desire to the workings of the universe. The book examines whether scientific knowledge has made us wiser than previous generations, and whether it has answered fundamental questions about fate, immortality, jealousy, and love. Rather than positioning science as a replacement for mythology, Harman uses contemporary scientific discoveries to create new mythologies. The narrative covers scientific thinking on the birth of the universe and solar system, the evolution from single cells to human consciousness. Through these accounts—including perspectives like the earth and moon representing motherhood, and a mitochondrion introducing sex and death—Harman demonstrates how the discoveries of science, like ancient legends, can inspire wonder and help address existential questions.