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Investigating the Nature of Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology
by Ed Regis
In 1944, the Nobel Prize–winning physicist Erwin Schrödinger published a groundbreaking little book called What Is Life? In fewer than one hundred pages, he argued that life was not a mysterious or inexplicable phenomenon, as many people believed, but a scientific process like any other, ultimately explainable by the laws of physics and chemistry.
Today, more than sixty years later, members of a new generation of scientists are attempting to create life from the ground up. Science has moved forward in leaps and bounds since Schrödinger’s time, but our understanding of what does and does not constitute life has only grown more complex. An era that has already seen computer chip–implanted human brains, genetically engineered organisms, genetically modified foods, cloned mammals, and brain-dead humans kept “alive” by machines is one that demands fresh thinking about the concept of life.
While a segment of our national debate remains stubbornly mired in moral quandaries over abortion, euthanasia, and other “right to life” issues, the science writer Ed Regis demonstrates how science can and does provide us with a detailed understanding of the nature of life. Written in a lively and accessible style, and synthesizing a wide range of contemporary research, What Is Life? is a brief and illuminating contribution to an age-old debate.
1000 Books February 2026 Read: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
If you haven't already read it, I highly recommend It Can't Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis. This is a novel. Fiction. A made-up story. Not true. What can't happen here? Fascism. Americans would never elect a fascist demagogue as president. But in this made-up story, that's exactly what happens—wi...
-Cathryn_Conroy
If you could meet one author in person, living or dead, who would it be and why did you choose them?
This will no doubt be the oddest answer you receive, but I would like to meet Margaret Mitchell. Most people know little about her life, but she was a fascinating character in her own right. Born in 1900 she was raised by well-to-do and educated parents and subject to the influences of a region f...
-Leslie_R
What audience would you recommend Daughters of Shandong to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
Readers who enjoy historical fiction and nonfiction would capture a sense of the pain and misery inflicted on the Chinese, especially women, as they fled the cruel regime of Mao. I read The Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden featured several years ago in Book Browse book club. The subject wa...
-Carol_Sullivan
What are some of the most pressing injustices that continue to affect women and girls today? What do you think we can do to change them?
All the previous posts are spot on. The USA is going backwards driven by The Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 and the misogynists that run it and follow them. Organized religion which almost exclusively uses the patriarchal system to control women and children and to amass power plays a foundati...
-Gerrie_B
In what ways did growing up in the era of Maoism mobilize May to seek refuge in America? What are the social and political differences between these two specific cultures that might have influenced her choices?
May had to make such difficult decisions in her early life under the strict regime of Maoism. She was first and foremost a scientist yet her studies were restricted because of the doctrines practiced in China centering on collectivization. She could not use her knowledge for learning and progress...
-Mary_H1
"Although he touches on the fact that being able to distinguish animate from inanimate entities is of critical philosophical importance for debates over such issues as abortion, stem cell research and euthanasia, he never does more than scratch the surface of any of these topics." - Publishers Weekly.
"This slim volume by agile science writer Regis (The Biology of Doom) reminds you how exciting and provocative science can be ... A book that could spark young minds toward a career in science." - Library Journal.
"Lucid and exciting." - Kirkus Reviews.
This information about What Is Life? was first featured
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