Life, Evolution, Microbes & More
Great writing about the science of life
We’re slowly working through an update of our lists of science & tech writing. First up, some new additions about biology, evolution and genetics:
How Life Really Works by Philip Ball - Just as I uncovered a new way to understand life, I got news about my own
Life with Purpose by Philip Ball - Biologists balk at any talk of ‘goals’ or ‘intentions’ – but a bold new research agenda has put agency back on the table
A New Idea for How to Assemble Life by Philip Ball - How would scientists even recognize biological signs of life beyond Earth? Assembly theory proposes a way to identify molecules made by living systems—even those using unfamiliar chemistries.
Synthetic Morphology Lets Scientists Create New Life-Forms by Philip Ball - The emerging field of synthetic morphology bends boundaries between natural and artificial life
The Magic of Mushrooms by Philip Ball - The astonishing secrets of fungal life raise profound questions
Plus 20 more great articles by Philip Ball, one of our favourite sceince writers.
Catastrophes and Calms by Renée Duckworth - Evolution is extraordinarily creative in the wake of a cataclysm. How does life keep steadily ticking over in between?
Modular Cognition by Michael Levin and Rafael Yuste - Powerful tricks from computer science and cybernetics show how evolution ‘hacked’ its way to intelligence from the bottom up
How Cities Reshape the Evolutionary Path of Urban Wildlife by Brendan I. Koerner - If researchers can figure out how pigeons and rats evolve to thrive in hostile city habitats, it could help other beasts—including us—adapt to climate change.
The Mysterious, Deep-Dwelling Microbes That Sculpt Our Planet by Ferris Jabr - Earth’s crust teems with subterranean life that we are only now beginning to understand
The Plastic-Eating Bacteria that Could Change the World by Stephen Buranyi - When a microbe was found munching on a plastic bottle in a rubbish dump, it promised a recycling revolution
The Ecologist Who Threw Starfish by Sean B. Carroll - The surprising importance of predators
It’s a Fishapod! by Sean B. Carroll - The story behind the discovery of the four-legged fish
The Weeds are Winning by Douglas Main - As the climate changes, genetic engineering will be essential for growing food. But is it creating a race of superweeds?
For more classic writing about the science of life, check out the full lists: biology, evolution and genetics. If you’ve read anything good lately, drop us a line!