Life at the Speed of Light, J. Craig Venter
Life at the Speed of Light, J. Craig Venter
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Life at the Speed of Light
From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life

Author: J. Craig Venter

Narrator: Bob Souer

Unabridged: 6 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/17/2013

Synopsis

In 2010, scientists led by J. Craig Venter became the first to successfully create "synthetic life"—putting humankind at the threshold of the most important and exciting phase of biological research, one that will enable us to actually write the genetic code for designing new species to help us adapt and evolve for long-term survival. The science of synthetic genomics will have a profound impact on human existence, including chemical and energy generation, health, clean water and food production, environmental control, and possibly even our evolution.

In Life at the Speed of Light, Venter presents a fascinating and authoritative study of this emerging field from the inside—detailing its origins, current challenges and controversies, and projected effects on our lives. This scientific frontier provides an opportunity to ponder anew the age-old question "What is life?" and examine what we really mean by "playing God." Life at the Speed of Light is a landmark work, written by a visionary at the dawn of a new era of biological engineering.

About J. Craig Venter

J. Craig Venter is founder, chairman, and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute, a nonprofit research organization. He is cofounder of the biotechnology companies Celera, Synthetic Genomics, and Human Longevity, Inc. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, he has received numerous public honors and scientific awards, including the US National Medal of Science.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Andrej

The book covers a brief history of the discovery of DNA as the "software of life", the work that went into the sequencing of it (read), the ability to synthesize it (write), the process of introducing it to a host cell (boot), and speculations about what all of this technology means for the future.......more

Goodreads review by Alex

Excellent book from the guy who decoded DNA. Shows you how biology is moving to computers now. Very interesting read.......more

Goodreads review by Maria

Erwin Schrodinger's "What is Life?" has been for generations a book that has inspired so many scientists in looking for an accurate answer to what separates the animate from the inanimate and the possibility to get rid of the way of thinking based on vitalism. But as many discoveries or explanations......more

Goodreads review by P.T.

The history, scientific achievements, and speculation in this book are mind blowing, but that can be hard to see through the dry, rambling writing. Gifted popular science writers can communicate complex science in a way average people can at least feel like they understand, but unfortunately, Venter......more

Goodreads review by Dennis Littrell

A challenging read What Venter means by “life at the speed of light” is the digitalization of DNA that can then be sent in the form of light waves anywhere in the universe. This also means that DNA can be sent to us from a distant civilization. It also means that if we do discover life in the sands o......more

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