What is Life? The Next Fifty Years: Speculations on the Future of Biology / Edition 1

by Michael P. Murphy, Luke A. J. O'Neill

Overview

Erwin Schrödinger's book What is Life?, which was originally delivered as a set of lectures at Trinity College, Dublin, is perhaps one of the most important scientific books of the twentieth century. It marked the beginning of molecular biology, and stimulated scientists such as Watson and Crick to explore and discover the structure of DNA. The novelty and appeal of What is Life? is that Schrödinger addressed the central problems of biology—heredity and how organisms use energy to maintain order—from a physicist's perspective. Fifty years later, at Trinity College, a number of outstanding scientists from a range of disciplines gathered to celebrate the anniversary of Schrödinger's lectures. In this book, they present their views on the current main problems in biology. The contributors are eminent scientists (including two Nobel Laureates) and well-known writers of popular science, including Jared Diamond, Christien de Duve, Manfred Eigen, Stephen Jay Gould, Stuart Kauffman, John Maynard Smith, Roger Penrose, and Lewis Wolpert. They tackle questions on our current understanding of the origin of life, evolution, the origin of human inventiveness, developmental biology, and the basis for consciousness. The book ends with a touching biography by Schrödinger's daughter, Ruth Braunizer. This book will set the stage for biological research into the next century and is essential reading for anyone interested in biology and its future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521599399
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/13/1997
Series:	Speculations on the Future of Biology
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	204
Product dimensions:	6.02(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.43(d)

Table of Contents

1. What is life? The next fifty years: an introduction Michael P. Murphy and Luke A. J. O'Neill; 2. What will endure of twentieth-century biology? Manfred Eigen; 3. What is Life? as a problem in history Stephen Jay Gould; 4. The evolution of human inventiveness Jared Diamond; 5. Development: is the egg computable or could we generate an angel? Lewis Wolpert; 6. Language and life John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szthmáry; 7. RNA without protein or protein without RNA? Christian de Duve; 8. What is life?: Was Schrödinger right? Stuart A. Kauffman; 9. Why do we need a new physics of the mind? Roger Penrose; 10. Do the laws of nature evolve? Walter Thirring; 11. New laws to be expected in the organism: synergetics of brain and behaviour,J. A. Scott Kelso and Herman Haken; 12. Order from disorder: the thermodynamics of complexity in biology Eric D. Schneider and James J. Kay; 13. Reminiscences Ruth Braunizer.

Editorial Reviews

"...if you want one slim book that contains as many stimulating ideas as a small library, this is it." New Scientist

"An absolute benefit of such a format is that the authors share with us thoughts that would not appear in their more scientific papers. We are treated, therefore, to a spectrum of viewpoints...this is an exciting collection of thoughtful essays, which are guaranteed to be engaging and stimulating." Thomas W. Traut, American Scientist

"...an informative and clarifying review of some of the most challenging questions of current biological science. The editors should be credited for their initiative, as well as for excellent editorial work. It has resulted in a very thought-provoking book that is certainly accessible to a wide audience....worthwhile reading for those who want to broaden their view of life." Börge Ekstig, Quarterly Review of Biology

"...a volume very much in keeping with the spirit of Schrödinger's work, both in its treatment of grand themes and in its application to biology of ideas from physics. It contains some excellent summaries of some exciting areas of biology, pitched at a popular level, and should command a wide readership." Danny Yee, on the World Wide Web

"WHhat is Life?: The Next Fiftey Years is insightful and though-provoking, highly recommended reading for both the professional biology student, and the non-specialist general reader." James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

In celebration of physicist Erwin Schrdinger's classic book What Is Life? (1945), which consolidated ideas from physics, biology, and chemistry and served as an early inspiration to the development of molecular biology, a diverse group of well-known scientists-physiologists, evolutionary biologists, physicists, neuroscientists, ecologists, and mathematicians-expound further on Schrdinger's question and make predictions about the future of biology. Although all the essays address a piece of Schrdinger's work, there is little coherence in the collection, and the future of biology is predicted weakly, if at all. The biology here is "human biology," with some discussion of future breakthroughs in the study of the brain: mind, behavior, and language. Lewis Wolpert's fascinating essay on the interface of development and genetics addresses the book's theme most specifically. Because many of the essays are difficult to follow and interpret, this book is not for general or even informed readers unless they are well versed in physics, molecular biology, neuroscience, and mathematics. Recommended for large academic collections only.-Constance Rinaldo, Dartmouth Coll. Biomedical Libs., Hanover, N.H.

Library Journal

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Erwin Schrodinger's influential What is Life?, biologists gathered in Dublin in September 1993 to follow his lead by sharing perspectives on the currently central problems in biology. The 12 papers speculate on what will endure of 20th-century biology, manipulating development to create angels or dinosaurs, language and life, new physics to understand the mind, and other topics. Schrodinger's daughter also contributes a reminiscence. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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