A new book from astronomy writer Jeff Kanipe investigates the deep links between humanity and the universe...

Long before protohumans dropped from the trees and began playing with fire, even before the Sun emerged from its chrysalis of dust and irradiated its brood of planets, numberless and nameless astronomical events affected Earth and its emerging life forms. Our chemical makeup—from the iron in our blood to the calcium in our bones—derives from stars that lived and died billions of years ago. Comets have showered organic molecules into our oceans, and asteroid impacts have wiped out predominant species that lived before. The Cosmic Connection is a natural history of how events in the near and far universe have influenced life on Earth today, and how they might influence life in the future.

Each chapter explores a different type of astronomical event, including how Earth’s orbit triggered past ice ages; how ancient exploding stars may have caused mass extinctions and changed the course of evolution; and how solar flares on the Sun today can threaten humanity. Intended for readers with an abiding interest in science but without specialized knowledge, the narrative style is purposely casual, but well-paced and fact-filled. In short, The Cosmic Connection chronicles how the universe can reach out and touch us, for better or worse.