Creation, Adam Rutherford
Creation, Adam Rutherford
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Creation
How Science is Reinventing Life Itself

Author: Adam Rutherford

Narrator: Walter Dixon

Unabridged: 6 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Ascent Audio

Published: 06/13/2013


Synopsis

What is life?

Humans have been asking this question for thousands of years. But as technology has advanced and our understanding of biology has deepened, the answer has evolved. For decades, scientists have been exploring the limits of nature by modifying and manipulating DNA, cells and whole organisms to create new ones that could never have existed on their own.

In Creation, science writer Adam Rutherford explains how we are now radically exceeding the boundaries of evolution and engineering entirely novel creatures—from goats that produce spider silk in their milk to bacteria that excrete diesel to genetic circuits that identify and destroy cancer cells. As strange as some of these creations may sound, this new, synthetic biology is helping scientists develop radical solutions to some of the world’s most pressing crises—from food shortages to pandemic disease to climate change—and is paving the way for inventions once relegated to science fiction.

Meanwhile, these advances are shedding new light on the biggest mystery of all—how did life begin? We know that every creature on Earth came from a single cell, sparked into existence four billion years ago. And as we come closer and closer to understanding the ancient root that connects all living things, we may finally be able to achieve a second genesis—the creation of new life where none existed before.

Creation takes us on a journey four billion years in the making—from the very first cell to the ground-breaking biological inventions that will shape the future of our planet.

About Adam Rutherford

Adam Rutherford is a geneticist, science writer, and broadcaster. He studied genetics at University College London, and during his PhD on the developing eye, he was part of a team that identified the first known genetic cause of a form of childhood blindness. His books include A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived-finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in nonfiction-and Creation, which was shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize. He writes and presents BBC's flagship weekly Radio 4 program Inside Science; The Cell for BBC Four; and Playing God (on the rise of synthetic biology) for the leading science series Horizon; in addition to writing for the Guardian.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Seema

I've read most of the 1st book (part one) a couple of years ago but decided to read again and complete it. Really well written and very enlightening.......more

This was an incredible book from start to finish. Rutherford has a gift for taking complex science and packaging it into something any curious person could understand. I have thought this about other writers, but Rutherford is truly one of the best writers I have read. Reading books that update our......more

Goodreads review by Nicky

This book has kind of a fun design: the two sections are separated by flipping the book upside down. It’s a gimmick, but it’s kind of a cool design anyway. The topics are pretty interlinked, but you can read one half of the book without the other, or read them in either order; whatever you like. One......more