On the Future of Species Authoring Life by Means of Artificial Biological Intelligence

<p>''The book we need right now ... Essential reading''<b> Professor Tom Ellis, Imperial College London</b><br><br>''Raises some of the most challenging philosophical and ethical issues that humankind has ever had to address'' <i><b>Sunday Times</b></i><br><br>''A fascinating read ... I throroughly recommend for all audiences''<b> Professor Mumtaz Patel, President of the Royal College of Physicians</b><br><b><br><u>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.</u></b><br><br>To achieve this, says Adrian Woolfson – founder of the genome writing company Genyro – we must transform biology into a predictive, programmable engineering material. That means decoding the generative grammar of DNA: the language of life itself. <b>It may then be possible to author genomes</b> – and, if we choose, even rewrite our own. <br><br>We are at the cusp of a technological revolution, driven by the convergence of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. Currently at the scribbling phase – writing the genomes of viruses, bacteria and yeast – we will eventually author the genomes of extinct and never-before-realised species. <b>Life will become computable, detached from its past, and no longer bound by Darwinian evolution.</b><br><br> While offering extraordinary opportunities, this power also carries great risk and <b>it is vital for everyone to understand what the future might hold</b>. Genome writing can help preserve the planet, but may also undermine human nature and disrupt ecosystems. Bold, visionary and deeply original, <i>On the Future of Species</i> is<b> an essential guide to how we should navigate this astonishing new world</b>, offering a moral compass to help us do so safely, wisely and ethically.<br><br>--<br><br>''Explores the profound opportunities and challenges that arise when we turn evolution upside-down'' <b>John-Arne Rottingen, CEO of The Wellcome Trust</b><br><br>''An intriguing and disturbing analysis of a biological revolution'' <b><i>Guardian</i></b></p>