{"product_id":"on-the-future-of-species-authoring-life-by-means-of-artificial-biological-intelligence-9781526670960","title":"On the Future of Species: Authoring Life by Means of Artificial Biological Intelligence","description":"\u003cp\u003eA ground-breaking exploration of the emerging field of genome writing and its profound implications for healthcare, the environment and the global economy\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'The book we need right now ... Essential reading'\u003cb\u003e Professor Tom Ellis, Imperial College London\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Visionary and exhilarating ... A work of astonishing scope and imagination' \u003cb\u003eTim Coulson, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Little History of Everything: From the Big Bang to You\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A fascinating read ... I throroughly recommend for all audiences'\u003cb\u003e Professor Mumtaz Patel, President of the Royal College of Physicians\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImagine a future where we grow houses rather than build them. Where smartphones are living, clothing has opinions, and all human knowledge fits into a speck of DNA. A world where disease is a thing of the past, and the human lifespan is dramatically extended.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo achieve this, says Adrian Woolfson – founder of the genome writing company Genyro – we must transform biology into a predictive, programmable engineering material. That means decoding the generative grammar of DNA: the language of life itself. \u003cb\u003eIt may then be possible to author genomes\u003c\/b\u003e – and, if we choose, even rewrite our own. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe are at the cusp of a technological revolution, driven by the convergence of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. Currently at the scribbling phase – writing the genomes of viruses, bacteria and yeast – we will eventually author the genomes of extinct and never-before-realised species. \u003cb\u003eLife will become computable, detached from its past, and no longer bound by Darwinian evolution.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  While offering extraordinary opportunities, this power also carries great risk and \u003cb\u003eit is vital for everyone to understand what the future might hold\u003c\/b\u003e. Genome writing can help preserve the planet, but may also undermine human nature and disrupt ecosystems. Bold, visionary and deeply original, \u003ci\u003eOn the Future of Species\u003c\/i\u003e is\u003cb\u003e an essential guide to how we should navigate this astonishing new world\u003c\/b\u003e, offering a moral compass to help us do so safely, wisely and ethically.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Explores the profound opportunities and challenges that arise when we turn evolution upside-down' \u003cb\u003eJohn-Arne Rottingen, CEO of The Wellcome Trust\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'An intriguing and disturbing analysis of a biological revolution' \u003cb\u003eRobin McKie, \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781526670960\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 480\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: London, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 23.2(H)x15.2(L)x4(W)600\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 600\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdrian Woolfson\u003c\/b\u003e is the co-founder of Genyro, a California-based biotechnology company specialising in synthetic genome design and construction. Born in London, he studied medicine at Balliol College, Oxford, and was formerly the Charles and Katherine Darwin Research Fellow at Darwin College, Cambridge, working at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. He is the author of the critically acclaimed \u003ci\u003eLife Without Genes: The History and Future of Genomes\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAn Intelligent Person’s Guide to Genetics.\u003c\/i\u003e He has authored over 160 scientific papers, book chapters, reviews, and patents, and is a regular contributor to the \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eScience\u003c\/i\u003e magazine. He currently lives in San Francisco.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003eA \u003cb\u003evisionary and exhilarating\u003c\/b\u003e exploration of biology’s next great frontier. Adrian Woolfson has written\u003cb\u003e a work of astonishing scope and imagination\u003c\/b\u003e, charting the convergence of artificial intelligence and genome synthesis. He takes readers from the foundations of molecular genetics to the threshold of a world in which we may author entirely new species, whilst reimagining human health. \u003cb\u003eBold, lucid, and deeply original\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOn the Future of Species\u003c\/i\u003e is essential reading for anyone interested in the destiny of life on Earth and beyond -- Tim Coulson, author of A LITTLE HISTORY OF EVERYTHING FROM THE BIG BANG TO YOU\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe book we need right now\u003c\/b\u003e; a clear-eyed, comprehensive look at how AI, gene editing, and synthetic biology are converging to give humanity unprecedented power over its own evolution. \u003cb\u003eP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eart history, part forecast, entirely compelling\u003c\/b\u003e. Woolfson guides us through the landmarks of molecular biology with the assurance of an expert and the enthusiasm of a born storyteller. He brings a rare combination of industry experience and literary skill to one of the most consequential questions of our time. \u003cb\u003eEssential reading\u003c\/b\u003e for anyone seeking to understand where genomic technologies are taking us -- Tom Ellis, Professor of Synthetic Genome Engineering, Imperial College London\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003ebrilliantly crafted\u003c\/b\u003e, sweeping exposition with \u003cb\u003eprofound insights\u003c\/b\u003e essential for any citizen of the twenty-first century -- Tim White, Professor of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley\u003cbr\u003eDarwin wrote \u003ci\u003eThe Origin of Species\u003c\/i\u003e in 1859. With the emergence of large language of life models - artificial biological intelligence - it was the right time to envision \u003ci\u003eOn the Future of Species\u003c\/i\u003e. Woolfson delivers that in this brilliant book, a \u003cb\u003every thoughtful and thorough assessment\u003c\/b\u003e of the profound implications of editing and rewriting our code -- Eric Topol, founder of Scripps Research Institute and author of SUPER AGERS\u003cbr\u003eScientists already know how to read the language of DNA and to edit it. \u003cb\u003eWoolfson details the new frontier\u003c\/b\u003e—writing new DNA scripts from scratch -- Thomas R. Cech, Nobel Prize winner and author of THE CATALYST\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA terrific read\u003c\/b\u003e that will be interesting to a very broad audience. I particularly enjoyed the blend of \u003cb\u003eengagingly narrated scientific history\u003c\/b\u003e with forecasting the future. Adrian is absolutely correct that we are embarking on a new era in which humankind will be able to create completely new kinds of biology that evolution has never explored. This is both tremendously exciting and rather scary -- Patrick Maxwell, Regius Professor of Physic and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eOn the Future of Species\u003c\/i\u003e, Adrian Woolfson \u003cb\u003eexplores the profound opportunities and challenges that arise when we turn evolution upside down \u003c\/b\u003e- beginning not with random mutation but with deliberate selection. He envisions \u003ci\u003eartificial biological intelligence\u003c\/i\u003e, where synthetic genomics converges with AI-driven predictive genomics to enable the reshaping and creation of life itself. Woolfson’s book prepares readers for the scientific, moral and societal dilemmas that will accompany such a transformation and concludes by outlining a framework - a scaffold for a manifesto - that humanity will need to deliberate as synthetic biology evolves -- John-Arne Rottingen, CEO of the Wellcome Trust\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fascinating read\u003c\/b\u003e exploring the principles of biology applied to medicine from a different lens. It has parallels with modern medicine with the emerging field of genome synthesis and its significant implications for healthcare, the wider environment and global health. I \u003cb\u003ethoroughly recommend for all audiences\u003c\/b\u003e, from students to healthcare professionals of all backgrounds -- Professor Mumtaz Patel, President of the Royal College of Physicians\u003cbr\u003eOur genomes – and those of all creatures – are riddled with “spaghetti code”, hopelessly convoluted by accidents of evolutionary history, demanding new approaches to unlock brave new worlds of biological possibility. This \u003cb\u003edazzling and prescient \u003c\/b\u003edive into the future of species explores the emergence of artificial biological intelligence, capable of unravelling the enigmatic regulatory code of genomes -- Jef Boeke, Director of Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Medical Center\u003cbr\u003eThe past two centuries have seen two profound shifts in our understanding of evolutionary biology – the nineteenth-century realisation that evolution exists and the gradual unpicking through the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries of the genomic mechanisms that control the development of living organisms. Adrian Woolfson sets out in this book the \u003cb\u003efascinating \u003c\/b\u003enotion that we could one day – perhaps quite soon – see a third revolution in which we directly tap into this genetic code to author entirely new biological species.  The implications are \u003cb\u003eprofound\u003c\/b\u003e and I thoroughly encourage anyone with an interest in the natural world to read this\u003cb\u003e important\u003c\/b\u003e book -- Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003ehopeful guide\u003c\/b\u003e to the 'Brave New World' of AI-powered bioscience ... Authoritatively defines what a 'post-Darwinian' future could and should look like -- Tom Ireland, editor of THE BIOLOGIST and author of THE GOOD VIRUS\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eOn the Future of Species\u003c\/i\u003e explains how we got to understand the chemistry of life, setting the scene for a \u003cb\u003emind-blowing\u003c\/b\u003e exploration of the opportunities opened up by this understanding for tackling diseases and possibly improving the human body.  But at the same time it \u003cb\u003eoffers wise council \u003c\/b\u003eabout the dangers involved in such tinkering, and points up the need for regulation.  It is both \u003cb\u003etimely and authoritative\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb\u003edeserves to be widely read\u003c\/b\u003e. -- John Gribbin, bestselling author of IN SEARCH OF SCHRODINGER'S CAT\u003cbr\u003eEvery great leap in human progress begins with a new way of seeing. For centuries, we’ve viewed biology as something to be studied. Adrian Woolfson wants us to see it as something to be authored. With AI as our collaborator we are learning to speak the language of life itself - and in doing so, to design the future of our species. This is a \u003cb\u003emind-expanding\u003c\/b\u003e tour of life’s programmable frontier, revealing the astonishing future we’re already building today -- Amy Webb, bestselling author of THE BIG NINE and THE GENESIS MACHINE\u003cbr\u003eWoolfson's \u003cb\u003elucid prose\u003c\/b\u003e describes \u003cb\u003efascinating\u003c\/b\u003e details about the hundreds of scientists whose work allows us to speed-read genomes now, and to write genomes soon. Life on Earth will, literally, never be the same. What will new designer species do for us, and to us? This book provides essential background for \u003cb\u003eurgently needed\u003c\/b\u003e deep discussions -- Randolph Nesse, author of GOOD REASONS FOR BAD FEELINGS\u003cbr\u003eAdrian Woolfson has written a \u003cb\u003eforward looking, detailed history\u003c\/b\u003e about the developments in the new field of synthetic biology whereby by rewriting the genetic code, biological functions can be added or removed from cells and organisms and entirely new species created. This history leads to the conclusion that the future of humanity includes or depends on the editing and rewriting of the human genetic code. Importantly Woolfson discusses key ethical steps that society must agree on to move forward. The book is \u003cb\u003ewell-timed to help stimulate discussion\u003c\/b\u003e, as we move into CRISPR editing of human genes and some reckless attempts at human cloning -- Craig Venter, Founder of the Institute for Genomic Research and the J. Craig Venter Institute\u003cbr\u003eWoolfson’s \u003ci\u003eOn the Future of Species \u003c\/i\u003eoffers a \u003cb\u003elucid and prescient\u003c\/b\u003e account of the transition from natural evolution to intentional genome design. As synthetic genomics moves from editing to whole-genome rewriting, this book provides\u003cb\u003e an indispensable guide\u003c\/b\u003e to the possibilities, responsibilities, and profound choices ahead -- Patrick Yizhi Cai, Chair Professor of Synthetic Genomics, The University of Manchester\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eOn the Origin of Species\u003c\/i\u003e, Charles Darwin presented artificial selection as a “magician’s wand,” enabling expert human breeders to conjure into existence whatever new living forms they desired. According to Adrian Woolfson, a vastly more powerful successor now in the works is artificial biological intelligence: the AI-guided synthesis of genomes, for purposes ranging from the curing of illness to the creation of new species. \u003ci\u003eOn the Future of Species \u003c\/i\u003eis at once a history of these remarkable developments, \u003cb\u003ea report from the scientific and technological frontlines\u003c\/b\u003e, and an attempt to chart a path through the morally complex territory ahead.  A \u003cb\u003efascinating and important \u003c\/b\u003ebook -- Gregory Radick, author of DISPUTED INHERITANCE: THE BATTLE OVER MENDEL AND THE FUTURE OF BIOLOGY\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003ethoughtful\u003c\/b\u003e and troubling reflection on the future of life, human and otherwise, prepared by a \u003cb\u003enotable expert\u003c\/b\u003e on what life used to be -- Antonio Damasio, Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience, Psychology and Philosophy, University of Southern California\u003cbr\u003eWe have progressed from being able to read the genetic script in our DNA, to modifying it. But we stand at a threshold where, because of a conjunction of increasingly powerful tools in both molecular biology and computation, we may be in future be able to synthesize entirely new scripts and create entirely new forms of life. This book is a\u003cb\u003e fascinating \u003c\/b\u003elook at the possibilities and what their consequences might be -- Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel Prize winner and author of GENE MACHINE: THE RACE TO DECIPHER THE SECRETS OF THE RISOSOME\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003elucid, thoughtful, at times troubling\u003c\/b\u003e review of a new era in biology * Kirkus *\u003cbr\u003eAn \u003cb\u003eintriguing and disturbing\u003c\/b\u003e analysis of a biological revolution ... \u003cb\u003eCompelling\u003c\/b\u003e, clear and straightforward -- Robin McKie * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eRaises some of \u003cb\u003ethe most challenging philosophical and ethical issues\u003c\/b\u003e that humankind has ever had to address -- Ben Spencer * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA pocket guidebook for the public\u003c\/b\u003e to comprehend a future where biology becomes infrastructure -- Chris Stokel-Walker * The Standard *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFascinatingly scary stuff \u003c\/b\u003eto huddle under the duvet with -- Liz Else * New Scientist *\u003cbr\u003eAn intriguing tale … It contains much that is \u003cb\u003efascinating, enticing, and usefully provocative\u003c\/b\u003e -- Philip Ball * Lancet *\u003cbr\u003eConsiders the ungodly convergence of AI and synthetic biology -- Ian Thomson * New Statesman, The Best Non-Fiction to Read this Year *\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003esweeping\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eaccount \u003c\/b\u003eof the history and science behind this \u003cb\u003etransformational technology\u003c\/b\u003e ... Woolfson's attention to detail is \u003cb\u003eexcellent\u003c\/b\u003e, with precise explanations that are \u003cb\u003eaccessible to non-specialists\u003c\/b\u003e while offering enough depth to engage experts -- Kate Adamala * Nature *\u003cbr\u003eOffers a \u003cb\u003elucid and occasionally unsettling\u003c\/b\u003e account of an under-appreciated technological revolution that will affect us all, allowing humanity to attempt what Darwin believed only nature could accomplish: to write the next chapter of life. -- Clive Cookson * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEssential reading\u003c\/b\u003e * The Tribune *\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003evital contribution\u003c\/b\u003e to the controversial debate around genetic manipulation, that could change humanity as we know it -- John Green * Morning Star *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eOn the Future of Species\u003c\/i\u003e makes clear that the question is no longer whether biology can be written but which biological possibilities must remain unwritten\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e * Science *","brand":"Adrian Woolfson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48926791794905,"sku":"9781526670960","price":36.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781526670960.jpg?v=1783736234","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/on-the-future-of-species-authoring-life-by-means-of-artificial-biological-intelligence-9781526670960","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}