<p>I recently <a href="https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/gaia" rel="nofollow noreferrer">stumbled</a> upon the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Gaia hypothesis</a>, which briefly states that the Earth itself is a living organism.</p>

<p>I am wondering: Would this hypothesis have any practical use? Does it make any predictions? Or alternatively: How could it be falsified?</p>

<p>While the Wikipedia article lists a few detailed examples for homeostatic mechanisms, these do not seem to have been predicted, but interpreted a posteriori (I may be wrong about this though). Criticisms of the hypothesis being a metaphor are referenced, but the word <em>falsify</em> does not appear in the article.</p>

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2018-08-06T10:40:01.200Z
@BarryCarter isn't that a very anthropocentric view? The changes will not take care of it for "us". They are natural variations, and may result in conditions that a are favourable for us, or not. Most species that ever existed in Earth's history are extinct, so clearly the natural changes did not "take care" of them.
Gimelist
<planetary-science><earth-system><ecology>
Would the Gaia hypothesis have any practical use?
Wrzlprmft
# Would the Gaia hypothesis have any practical use?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-05)

I recently [stumbled](https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/gaia) upon the [Gaia hypothesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis), which briefly states that the Earth itself is a living organism.

I am wondering: Would this hypothesis have any practical use? Does it make any predictions? Or alternatively: How could it be falsified?

While the Wikipedia article lists a few detailed examples for homeostatic mechanisms, these do not seem to have been predicted, but interpreted a posteriori (I may be wrong about this though). Criticisms of the hypothesis being a metaphor are referenced, but the word *falsify* does not appear in the article.

**Tags:** planetary-science, earth-system, ecology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @BarryCarter isn't that a very anthropocentric view? The changes will not take care of it for "us". They are natural variations, and may result in conditions that a are favourable for us, or not. Most species that ever existed in Earth's history are extinct, so clearly the natural changes did not "take care" of them.  

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## 0 answers

