Modern science’s understanding of life is built upon the belief that all features of life—including of course consciousness—are completely describable in terms of molecules and their activities. From this perspective, living beings can be viewed as simply constituting a particular subset of the material universe, and as such are ultimately defined by the same laws of physics and chemistry. This material-only hypothesis is usually referred to as scientific materialism or materialism, and it is essentially a modern intellectual fixture. If true, this hypothesis has profound implications for life, and in particular eliminates the possibility of deeper and/or religious aspects (and of course free will too).

A game-changing book on the origins of life, called the most important scientific discovery 'since the Copernican revolution' in The Observer.

For all the discussion in the media about creationism and 'Intelligent Design', virtually nothing has been said about the evidence in question - the evidence for evolution by natural selection. Yet, as this succinct and important book shows, that evidence is vast, varied, and magnificent, and drawn from many disparate fields of science. The very latest research is uncovering a stream of evidence revealing evolution in action - from the actual observation of a species splitting into two, to new fossil discoveries, to the deciphering of the evidence stored in our genome. Why Evolution is True weaves together the many threads of modern work in genetics, palaeontology, geology, molecular biology, anatomy, and development to demonstrate the 'indelible stamp' of the processes first proposed by Darwin. It is a crisp, lucid, and accessible statement that will leave no one with an open mind in any doubt about the truth of evolution.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • "A dazzling journey across the sciences and humanities in search of deep laws to unite them." —The Wall Street Journal One of our greatest scientists—and the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for On Human Nature and The Ants—gives us a work of visionary importance that may be the crowning achievement of his career. In Consilience (a word that originally meant "jumping together"), Edward O. Wilson renews the Enlightenment's search for a unified theory of knowledge in disciplines that range from physics to biology, the social sciences and the humanities. Using the natural sciences as his model, Wilson forges dramatic links between fields. He explores the chemistry of the mind and the genetic bases of culture. He postulates the biological principles underlying works of art from cave-drawings to Lolita. Presenting the latest findings in prose of wonderful clarity and oratorical eloquence, and synthesizing it into a dazzling whole, Consilience is science in the path-clearing traditions of Newton, Einstein, and Richard Feynman.

Developed from presentations given at the Cerisy SVSI (Sciences de la vie, sciences de l’information) conference held in 2016, this book presents a broad overview of thought and research at the intersection of life sciences and information sciences. The contributors to this edited volume explore life and information on an equal footing, with each considered as crucial to the other. In the first part of the book, the relation of life and information in the functioning of genes, at both the phylogenetic and ontogenetic levels, is articulated and the common understanding of DNA as code is problematized from a range of perspectives. The second part of the book homes in on the algorithmic nature of information, questioning the fit between life and automaton and the accompanying division between individualization and invariance. Consisting of both philosophical speculation and ethological research, the explorations in this book are a timely intervention into prevailing understandings of the relation between information and life.

Dr Francis S. Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists, working at the cutting edge of the study of DNA, the code of life. Yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God. How does he reconcile the seemingly unreconcilable? In THE LANGUAGE OF GOD he explains his own journey from atheism to faith, and then takes the reader on a stunning tour of modern science to show that physics, chemistry and biology -- indeed, reason itself -- are not incompatible with belief. His book is essential reading for anyone who wonders about the deepest questions of all: why are we here? How did we get here? And what does life mean?

Separating truth from hype, this book introduces readers to the topic of life extension in a holistic manner that provides scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives. While the story of 16th-century explorer Juan Ponce de León futilely searching for the Fountain of Youth is likely a myth, it is true that for many centuries, mankind has sought "a cure for aging." Today, the anti-aging and longevity industry is a multibillion-dollar industry, and medical advances are continuing to find ways to add to our time on earth. Finding the Fountain of Youth: The Science and Controversy behind Extending Life and Cheating Death introduces readers to the topic of life extension in a holistic manner, examining the topic through scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives. It also highlights key medical and ethical controversies related to this particular area of gerontology and serves as a gateway for further research and study. The book's chapters address the history of movements to remain youthful, from ancient times through the modern era; past medical advances that significantly extended the average lifespan; and our cultural obsession with "staying young" that has spawned the anti-aging industry. Readers will learn about basic principles of aging and anti-aging, as well as the science behind the methods—both proven and hypothetical—that serve to extend the lifespan. The final section of the book examines controversial issues and debates related to life extension, such as global overpopulation, length of life versus quality of life, and socioeconomic concerns.