Description
Explore the groundbreaking world of synthetic biology with *The Genesis Machine*, a revolutionary book that unveils the potential of writing DNA like programmers write code. This essential read, published by Little Brown in 2023, delves into the fascinating realm of synthetic biology, a technology that empowers us to not only read and edit but also 'write' genetic material, creating living organisms programmed for specific purposes. This book presents a compelling vision of the future, where applications of synthetic biology could address pressing global issues such as climate change, food security, and disease management.
As you navigate its pages, you'll discover how synthetic biology could lead to solutions for humanity’s most critical challenges: developing sustainable methods to feed and house billions, containing viral outbreaks before they escalate, and even reviving extinct species. However, with this immense power comes a responsibility to consider the ethical, religious, and philosophical implications of manipulating life.
Academics, students, and curious minds alike will appreciate the insights of futurist Amy Webb and synthetic biologist Andrew Hessel, who guide readers through the moral dilemmas we must confront in a rapidly evolving scientific landscape. Can we program viruses to combat diseases responsibly? What does genetic privacy entail in this new world? These are just some questions that this provocative text encourages us to ponder.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Condition: BRAND NEW. ISBN: 9781541797925.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781541797925
Year: 2023
Publisher: Little Brown
Description:
Synthetic biology is the technique that enables us not just to read and edit but also write DNA to program living biological structures as though they were tiny computers. Unlike cloning Dolly the sheep-which cut and copied existing genetic material-the future of synthetic biology might be something like an app store, where you could download and add new capabilities into any cell, microbe, plant, or animal.
This breakthrough science has the potential to mitigate, perhaps solve, humanity's immediate and longer-term existential challenges: climate change; the feeding, clothing, housing, and caring for billions of humans; fighting the next viral outbreak before it becomes a global pandemic; old age as a treatable pathology; bringing back extinct animals.
It could also be anarchic and socially destructive. With our governing structures created in an era before startling advances in technology, we are not prepared for a future in which life could be manipulated or programmed.
As futurist Amy Webb and synthetic biologist Andrew Hessel show in this book, within the next decade, we will need to make important decisions: whether to program novel viruses to fight diseases, what genetic privacy will look like, who will "own" living organisms, how companies should earn revenue from engineered cells, and how to contain a synthetic organism in a lab. The Genesis Machine? provides the background for us to understand and grapple with these issues, and think through the religious, philosophical, and ethical implications for the future.
As you navigate its pages, you'll discover how synthetic biology could lead to solutions for humanity’s most critical challenges: developing sustainable methods to feed and house billions, containing viral outbreaks before they escalate, and even reviving extinct species. However, with this immense power comes a responsibility to consider the ethical, religious, and philosophical implications of manipulating life.
Academics, students, and curious minds alike will appreciate the insights of futurist Amy Webb and synthetic biologist Andrew Hessel, who guide readers through the moral dilemmas we must confront in a rapidly evolving scientific landscape. Can we program viruses to combat diseases responsibly? What does genetic privacy entail in this new world? These are just some questions that this provocative text encourages us to ponder.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Condition: BRAND NEW. ISBN: 9781541797925.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781541797925
Year: 2023
Publisher: Little Brown
Description:
Synthetic biology is the technique that enables us not just to read and edit but also write DNA to program living biological structures as though they were tiny computers. Unlike cloning Dolly the sheep-which cut and copied existing genetic material-the future of synthetic biology might be something like an app store, where you could download and add new capabilities into any cell, microbe, plant, or animal.
This breakthrough science has the potential to mitigate, perhaps solve, humanity's immediate and longer-term existential challenges: climate change; the feeding, clothing, housing, and caring for billions of humans; fighting the next viral outbreak before it becomes a global pandemic; old age as a treatable pathology; bringing back extinct animals.
It could also be anarchic and socially destructive. With our governing structures created in an era before startling advances in technology, we are not prepared for a future in which life could be manipulated or programmed.
As futurist Amy Webb and synthetic biologist Andrew Hessel show in this book, within the next decade, we will need to make important decisions: whether to program novel viruses to fight diseases, what genetic privacy will look like, who will "own" living organisms, how companies should earn revenue from engineered cells, and how to contain a synthetic organism in a lab. The Genesis Machine? provides the background for us to understand and grapple with these issues, and think through the religious, philosophical, and ethical implications for the future.