Before Fusion: A Human History Of Fire

Editor's Blog





Photo credit:

Hydrogen is built into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees. NASA/SDO (AIA)

We humans are fire creatures. Tending fire is a species trait, a capacity we alone possess – and one we are not likely to tolerate willingly in any other species. But then we live on Earth, the only true fire planet, the only one we know of that burns living landscapes. Fire is where, uniquely, our special capabilities and Earth’s bioenergy flows converge. That has made us the keystone species for fire on Earth.