I would split the Gaia Hypothesis into two versions - the Strong Gaia Hypothesis and the Weak Gaia Hypothesis. I believe the Weak one but not the Strong one. The Strong one says the entire biosphere is one complex machine, all connected together by feedback. All these systems have "grown together" over the ages, so that disturbing it in one place may disturb everything everywhere. The Weak version says that the the biosphere consists of many separate feedback system, each of which may well have grown together as the hypothesis describes. However, these systems are relatively weakly coupled to each other, so a major disaster in one cause a minor disaster in another, which causes ripples in the next. We can therefore do massive disaster in one part without destroying the whole. Of course, if the the part we destroy is the part we live in, we have a problem even if the Earth doesn't.

In a manner of speaking, yes. Gaia theory postulates there is an interconnectedness to all living things here on Earth. Each level of life, from the smallest microorganisms to humans, contribute to the whole. In this way, the Earth is seen as a giant, living organism itself. Just as individual cells and bacteria and microflora make up the human body, so too do all living things make up Gaia. I believe this in that I believe that everything is indeed connected to everything else. Earth can be looked at as a closed system. When even the smallest thing in this system is altered, the rest of the system reacts, if only by the tiniest, almost indiscernible amount. All living things also depend upon each other for their continued survival, such as being food for one another. Even though we humans like to think of ourselves as sitting comfortably at the top of some proverbial food chain, the reality is that we are even food to the smallest of living things. Microorganisms live within our very bodies, feeding upon cellular waste and other byproducts of our bodies' proper functioning. This proves beneficial not just to their survival, but also ours. On a larger scale, we, too, interact in similar ways with our environment. We do not always do so in such "natural" ways as I've just described, and that has been, and is, the cause of many troubles we are slowly coming to terms with. These are things like global warming or "climate change", deforestation and species extinction. While arguments can be, and often are, made both for and against these things and their suspected fallout, they are, nonetheless, happening. Just what this all means is still very much open to passionate debate. Regardless of just what things like global warming will mean in the long run, the one thing that is ALWAYS dispassionate is nature. Gaia does not care who rules the roost, so to speak. She, quite literally, just goes with the ebb and flow of life in the broadest sense. Whether or not we humans find the Earth as a hospitable place as we have these past 100,000 years or so is no big deal for her. There will always be other organisms to fill the niches that are created.

No i'm cathlic, i don't believe in Atlantean Gods. it's against my religion. :-)