Table of Contents
Preface 11
Chapter 1 Endings are Personal 17
That's All Folks 18
Everything Has Its Time 25
End of the Line 33
Chapter 2 All Good Things Must Pass 41
The Reaper's Scythe 42
Beating the Odds 50
Dust to Dust 56
Chapter 3 The Future of Humanity 65
The Fate of Species 67
Our Own Worst Enemy 79
Chapter 4 Beyond Natural Selection 90
Endpoints of Evolution 91
Beyond Biology 102
Chapter 5 The Web of Life 110
The Restless Earth 112
Gaia 124
Chapter 6 Threats to the Biosphere 134
A Hard Rain 136
Saving the Planet 142
Life Is Viral 149
Chapter 7 Living in a Solar System 157
Pale Blue Dots 158
Life Beyond Earth 166
Threats from Beyond 172
Chapter 8 The Sun's Demise 181
Living with a Star 183
Moving Off-Earth 192
Chapter 9 Our Galactic Habitat 203
Once and Future Stars 205
Mergers and Acquisitions 218
Chapter 10 Aging of the Milky Way 227
Fade to Black 229
Childhood's End 238
Chapter 11 How the Universe Ends 248
Something from Nothing 249
How It All Ends 261
Chapter 12 Beyond Endings 271
Living in the Multiverse 273
From Endings to Meaning 280
Glossary 291
Notes 301
Reading List 325
Credits 329
Index 331