Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology

Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology - Paperback

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Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology
  • Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology
Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology - Paperback

Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology - Paperback

by Johnjoe McFadden , Jim Al-Khalili
$20.00
$20.00

Book Overview

by Johnjoe McFadden (Author), Jim Al-Khalili (Author)

New York Times bestseller - Life on the Edge alters our understanding of our world's fundamental dynamics through the use of quantum mechanics.

Life is the most extraordinary phenomenon in the known universe; but how did it come to be? Even in an age of cloning and artificial biology, the remarkable truth remains: nobody has ever made anything living entirely out of dead material. Life remains the only way to make life. Are we still missing a vital ingredient in its creation?

Using first-hand experience at the cutting edge of science, Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe Macfadden reveal that missing ingredient to be quantum mechanics. Drawing on recent ground-breaking experiments around the world, each chapter in Life on the Edge illustrates one of life's puzzles: How do migrating birds know where to go? How do we really smell the scent of a rose? How do our genes copy themselves with such precision? Life on the Edge accessibly reveals how quantum mechanics can answer these probing questions of the universe.

Guiding the reader through the rapidly unfolding discoveries of the last few years, Al-Khalili and McFadden describe the explosive new field of quantum biology and its potentially revolutionary applications, while offering insights into the biggest puzzle of all: what is life? As they brilliantly demonstrate in these groundbreaking pages, life exists on the quantum edge.

Winner, Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication

Author Biography

Johnjoe McFadden is Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Surrey and is the editor of several leading text books. For over a decade, he has specialized in examining tuberculosis and meningitis, inventing the first successful molecular test for the latter. He is the author of Quantum Evolution and co-editor of Human Nature: Fact and Fiction.

Jim Al-Khalili OBE is an academic, author, and broadcaster. He is a leading theoretical physicist based at the University of Surrey, where he teaches and carries out research in quantum mechanics. He has written a number of popular science books, including Pathfinders: The Golden Age of Arabic Science. He has presented several television and radio documentaries, including the BAFTA-nominated Chemistry: A Volatile History and The Secret Life of Chaos.
Number of Pages: 368
Dimensions: 0.9 x 7.9 x 5.1 IN
Publication Date: July 26, 2016
ISBN9780307986825
Author Johnjoe McFadden , Jim Al-Khalili
PublisherCrown Publishing Group (NY)
GenreEducation
FormatPaperback
PublishedJuly 2016
LanguageENG- English
Pages368
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

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More by Johnjoe McFadden

Quantum Evolution: Life in the Multiverse

Quantum Evolution: Life in the Multiverse - Paperback

Quantum Evolution: Life in the Multiverse - Paperback

By Johnjoe McFadden
About Johnjoe McFadden
Johnjoe McFadden is a Reader in Molecular Microbiology at Surrey University and editor of Britain's leading text book on Molecular Biology. For over 10 years, Dr McFadden has specialised in examining tuberculosis and meningitis genes. He is the inventor of the first successful test for meningitis (which received worldwide press, radio and TV coverage) and was leader of another team, the first to successfully use artificial life computer programmes to model key transition stages in evolution (also covered by the media). This is his first book for a popular audience.
About Jim Al-Khalili
Jim Al-Khalili is Distinguished Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Surrey and one of Britain's best-known science communicators. He has written numerous books, including The World According to Physics (Princeton); Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed; and Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology. He is a fellow of the Royal Society and lives in Southsea, England. Twitter @jimalkhalili

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