Gaia hypothesis
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The Gaia hypothesis proposes that living organisms and their physical environment work together as a self-regulating system, where life actively shapes and maintains the conditions necessary for life to continue. This idea matters because it challenges the traditional view of Earth as simply a lifeless stage where organisms exist, instead suggesting that life itself plays a central role in keeping the planet habitable.
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The study of planetary habitability is partly based upon extrapolation from knowledge of the Earth's conditions, as the Earth is the only planet currently known to harbour life (The Blue Marble, 1972 Apollo 17 photograph).
The Gaia hypothesis (/ˈɡaɪ.ə/), also known as the Gaia theory, Gaia paradigm, or the Gaia principle, proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-regulating complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet.