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On the Future of Species
Authoring Life by Means of Artificial Biological Intelligence
Brief Description
'The book we need right now ... Essential reading' Professor Tom Ellis, Imperial College London 'Visionary and exhilarating ... A work of astonishing scope and imagination' Tim Coulson, author of A Little History of Everything: From the Big Bang to You 'A fascinating read ... I...
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On the Future of Species
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A ground-breaking exploration of the emerging field of genome writing and its profound implications for healthcare, the environment and the global economy
A ground-breaking exploration of the emerging field of genome writing and its profound implications for healthcare, the environment and the global economy
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Description
'The book we need right now ... Essential reading' Professor Tom Ellis, Imperial College London
'Visionary and exhilarating ... A work of astonishing scope and imagination' Tim Coulson, author of A Little History of Everything: From the Big Bang to You
'A fascinating read ... I thoroughly recommend for all audiences' Professor Mumtaz Patel, President of the Royal College of Physicians
Imagine 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.
To achieve this, says Adrian Woolfson β founder of the genome writing company Genyro β we must transform biology into a predictive, programmable engineering material. That means decoding the generative grammar of DNA: the language of life itself. It may then be possible to author genomes β and, if we choose, even rewrite our own.
We are at the cusp of a technological revolution, driven by the convergence of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. Currently at the scribbling phase β writing the genomes of viruses, bacteria and yeast β we will eventually author the genomes of extinct and never-before-realised species. Life will become computable, detached from its past, and no longer bound by Darwinian evolution.
While offering extraordinary opportunities, this power also carries great risk and it is vital for everyone to understand what the future might hold. Genome writing can help preserve the planet, but may also undermine human nature and disrupt ecosystems. Bold, visionary and deeply original, On the Future of Species is an essential guide to how we should navigate this astonishing new world, offering a moral compass to help us do so safely, wisely and ethically.
'Explores the profound opportunities and challenges that arise when we turn evolution upside-down' John-Arne Rottingen, CEO of The Wellcome Trust
'An intriguing and disturbing analysis of a biological revolution' Robin McKie, Guardian
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781526670977
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 12 February 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 50.0mm
Width: 160.0mm
Height: 240.0mm
Weight: 720g
Pages: 480
About the Author
Adrian Woolfson 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 Life Without Genes: The History and Future of Genomes and An Intelligent Personβs Guide to Genetics. He has authored over 160 scientific papers, book chapters, reviews, and patents, and is a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal and Science magazine. He currently lives in San Francisco.
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On the Future of Species
Visionary and exhilarating ... A work of astonishing scope and imagination β Tim Coulson The book we need right now ... Essential reading β Tom Ellis A brilliantly crafted, sweeping exposition with profound insights β Tim White Imagine a future where we grow houses rather than build them. Where smartphones are living, clothing has opinions, and all human knowledge fits...PaperbackSold Out
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