In the Shadow of Animals: What Sapiens Can Learn by Studying Other Living Things

What differentiates humans from other living beings is our ability to communicate, our complex reasoning, and our use of skilled hands and smart brains to build houses, cities, and societies. We are able to learn. We penetrate into the unknown. We dominate our planet. For thousands of years, we have lived close to animals. As we are gaining a more complete understanding of our physiology, we are observing that we are not so different from them and other life forms. By studying them, we can sharpen our senses, treat diseases, and overcome some of our weaknesses. By observing their unique capabilities, we invent ways to emulate their performances in areas where evolution has helped them excel. Animals have helped us build our human culture and civilization. We still take advantage of them, even push them back into ever more restricted habitats. We are now at risk of forgetting that Sapiens’ only way to thrive, and planet Earth to survive, will be to humbly accept our place in the ＂shadow of animals.＂

This book explains how various animals have adapted to extreme conditions, and why humans need to study animals and should protect them. It helps us to understand how ＂life on our planet＂ evolved. It is a popular presentation of the human-animal relationship for curious readers of all ages. It will hopefully stimulate scientific discussions among high school and university students.

Michael Hehenberger retired in 2013 after a 28-year-long association with IBM. Currently, he writes books and speaks at conferences. He earned advanced degrees in physics from Vienna University of Technology, Austria, and quantum chemistry from Uppsala University, Sweden. He was a visiting associate professor of quantum theory at the University of Florida, USA, before he joined IBM in 1985. Throughout his IBM career in Stockholm, Paris, San Jose (CA), and New York, he worked on computational chemistry, biology, and engineering and led partnerships with academic and industrial life sciences organizations. They focused on molecular biology, information-based medicine, pharmaceutical research, nanomedicine, and AI. Dr Hehenberger’s first book Nanomedicine: Science, Business, and Impact covers both the underlying science and the steps needed to take a new biomedical breakthrough all the way from concept to patient benefit. His recent presentations at international conferences included talks on ＂Big Data Analytics,＂ ＂AI: History and Possible Future,＂ ＂Quantum Information and Computing,＂ and ＂High Mountain Adaptations in Humans and Animals.＂