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The Genesis Machine

Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology

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About this listen

 A New Yorker Best Book of the Year

A breakthrough investigation of synthetic biology: the promising and controversial technology platform that combines biology and artificial intelligence and has the potential to program biological systems like we program computers.

The breakthrough science of synthetic biology has the potential to help solve humanity’s existential challenges from climate change, to the health and feeding of millions, to fighting the next viral outbreak before it becomes a global pandemic.

A promising and controversial science that combines biology and artificial intelligence, synthetic biology opens up the possibility of programming biological systems much as we program computers. Rather than life being “a beautiful game of chance,” synthetic biology can give us control over our genetic destiny, say no to bad genes, and add new capabilities into any cell, microbe, plant, or animal—enabling us not just to read and edit DNA, but write it. And herein lies the controversy.

Whether we approve or disapprove, synthetic biology is coming. Amy Webb and Andrew Hessel give us the understanding we need to assess both the promise and peril of the science as well as the complex ethical, moral, political, and societal issues surrounding it. Biological Sciences Biology Evolution & Genetics Genetics Science Feel-Good

Critic reviews

“[A] thought-provoking introduction to synthetic biology…[a] breathtaking science, but it is also scary. Who's in charge, and where are the brakes?”—Booklist
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excellent book, loved it.ready to listen again.
great narration, really interesting to see where the world is heading.

excellent book

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This book covers a rich and exciting area of science, accumulating information across diverse fields of biology. Although, as a biologist, I felt I had heard all of this information before. It seemed like a collection of searchable information than an intellectual advance in itself.

Important topic but lacks novel insights

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