Erwin Schrodinger's 1944 classic What Is Life? is a small book
that occupies a large place among the great written works of the
twentieth century. It is said that it helped launch the modern
revolution in biology and genetics, and inspired a generation of
scientists, including Watson and Crick, to explore the riddle of
life itself.
Now, more than sixty years later, science writer Ed Regis offers an
intriguing look at where this quest stands today. Regis ranges
widely here, illuminating many diverse efforts to solve one of
science's great mysteries. He examines the genesis of
Schrodinger's great book--which first debuted as three public
lectures in Dublin--and details the fantastic reception his ideas
received, both in Europe and America. Regis also introduces us to
the work of a remarkable group of scientists who are attempting
literally to create life from scratch, starting with molecular
components that they hope to assemble into the world's first
synthetic living cell. The book also examines how scientists have
unlocked the "three secrets of life," describes the key
role played by ATP ("the ultimate driving force of all
life"), and outlines the many attempts to explain how life
first arose on earth, a puzzle that has given birth to a wide range
of theories (which Francis Crick dismissed as "too much
speculation running after too few facts"), from the primordial
sandwich theory, to the theory that life arose in clay, in deep-sea
vents, or in oily bubbles at the seashore, right up to Freeman
Dyson's "theory of double origins."
Written in a lively and accessible style, and bringing together a
wide range of cutting-edge research, What is Life? makes an
illuminating contribution to this ancient and ever-fascinating
debate.
"Elegant, simple, clear, beautifully written. Regis takes up where Erwin Schr dinger left off and tackles the ultimate mystery of biology. This book is a scrumptious gem." -- Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone "Ed Regis is always a careful researcher, always an independent thinker. In this subversive litte book, he shows that the biggest of big questions is still worth asking - more urgently now than ever." -- David Quammen "A Comprehensive and elegant analysis of the physical basis of life: an up-to-date successor to Schr dinger's 1944 book." - Marvin Minsky, Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, M.I.T., and author of The Emotion Machine "Clearly written and entirely accessible to those without any science background...a delightful and informative introduction."--The Quarterly Review of Biology
Inhaltsangabe
PROLOGUE: THE SECOND CREATION ONE: BIRTH OF A CELL TWO: SCHRODINGER THREE: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF LIFE FOUR: THE FIFTIETH-ANNIVERSARY CORONATION AND DISMISSAL FIVE : ATP AND THE MEANING OF LIFE SIX: ORIGINS SEVEN: THE SPANDRELS OF SAN MARCO EIGHT: THE TWILIGHT ZONE NINE: THE SYNTHETIC CELL TURING TEST TEN: WHAT IS LIFE? NOTES, BIBLIOGRAPHY, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, INDEX
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