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Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive

Carl Zimmer

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Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive

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Delving into the enigma of defining life.

If you've ever pondered what it truly means to be 'alive,' Carl Zimmer's "Life's Edge" will captivate you with its deep exploration of this complex concept. As you wander through scientific discoveries, experiments, and philosophical quandaries, you'll find yourself immersed in a narrative that challenges the very foundations of life's definition. It's a thought-provoking journey that promises to engage your curiosity and expand your understanding of the living world.

  • PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Nominee for Shortlist (2022)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive

Regular price
Unit price
per
Compare to estimated retail price: S$15.56  
Condition guide
ISBN: 9781529069433
Author: Carl Zimmer
Publisher: Picador
Date of Publication: 2022-06-09
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: History, Nature, Science, Philosophy
Goodreads rating: 3.94
(rated by 2210 readers)

Description

Carl Zimmer investigates one of the biggest questions of all: What is life? The answer seems obvious until you try to seriously answer it. Is the apple sitting on your kitchen counter alive, or is only the apple tree it came from deserving of the word? If we can’t answer that question here on earth, how will we know when and if we discover alien life on other worlds? The question hangs over some of society’s most charged conflicts – whether a fertilized egg is a living person, for example, and when we ought to declare a person legally dead. Life’s Edge is an utterly fascinating investigation by one of the most celebrated science writers of our time. Zimmer journeys through the strange experiments that have attempted to recreate life. Literally hundreds of definitions of what that should look like now exist, but none has yet emerged as an obvious winner. Lists of what living things have in common do not add up to a theory of life. It’s never clear why some items on the list are essential and others not. Coronaviruses have altered the course of history, and yet many scientists maintain they are not alive. Chemists are creating droplets that can swarm, sense their environment, and multiply – have they made life in the lab? Whether he is handling pythons in Alabama or searching for hibernating bats in the Adirondacks, Zimmer revels in astounding examples of life at its most bizarre. He
 

Delving into the enigma of defining life.

If you've ever pondered what it truly means to be 'alive,' Carl Zimmer's "Life's Edge" will captivate you with its deep exploration of this complex concept. As you wander through scientific discoveries, experiments, and philosophical quandaries, you'll find yourself immersed in a narrative that challenges the very foundations of life's definition. It's a thought-provoking journey that promises to engage your curiosity and expand your understanding of the living world.

  • PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Nominee for Shortlist (2022)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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