Life

The newest addition to John Brockman’s Edge.org series explores life itself, bringing together the world’s leading biologists, geneticists, and evolutionary theorists—including Richard Dawkins, Edward O. Wilson, J. Craig Venter, and Freeman Dyson.

Scientists’ understanding of life is progressing more rapidly than at any point in human history, from the extraordinary decoding of DNA to the controversial emergence of biotechnology. Featuring pioneering biologists, experts in genetics, physicists, and science writers, Life explains just how far we’ve come—and takes a brilliantly educated guess at where we’re heading.
Richard Dawkins and J. Craig Venter compare genes to digital information, and sketch the frontiers of genomic research.

In this compelling work of evolutionary biology, Edward O. Wilson reveals what ants can teach us about building a superorganism—and, in turn, about how cells build an organism. Elsewhere, David Haig reports new findings on how mothers and fathers individually influence the human genome, while Kary Mullis covers cutting edge treatments for dangerous viruses. And there’s much more in this fascinating volume.

We may never have all the answers. But the thinkers collected in Life are asking questions that will keep us dreaming for generations.

This essential guide to modern evolutionary biology brings together world-renowned thinkers to explore the biggest questions in science:

• The Human Genome Project: Go behind the work that constituted a turning point in our perception of who we are, illuminating the conversations and controversies that animate modern biology.
• Natural Selection: Revisit the cornerstone of Darwinian evolution with Richard Dawkins as he defends his “selfish gene” view and speculates on how life might exhibit it elsewhere in the universe.
• Genomic Imprinting: Discover fascinating findings from David Haig on how mothers and fathers individually influence the human genome and create internal genetic conflicts.
• Synthetic Biology: Look toward the future with pioneers like J. Craig Venter and Drew Endy as they discuss recent advances and the engineering aspects of creating new life.