The how of cloning, beautifully told by optimists who believe that wise heads and good science will justify the whys.
This book from the “father” of the world’s first cloned animal ranges from autobiography to medical history to an extensive discussion of the policies and ethical issues raised by Dolly.
An undistinguished student when he arrived at agricultural college, Wilmut became fascinated there with embryology. He landed a summer job at an animal research station, supervised by leaders in reproductive science. That launched him into decades of work: freezing and thawing embryos; inserting genes to get animals to express useful drugs (“pharming”); and finally producing Dolly. Assisted by Daily Telegraph science editor Highfield, Wilmut graphically describes the process of transferring DNA from a mammary-gland cell of an adult ewe to an egg denuded of its nucleus, then implanting the embryo into a surrogate sheep; these pages are among the book’s high points. But no one should conclude that “now we can do it so much better and faster,” the authors aver. Although now more common, cloning is still a daunting process. Wasted eggs, failed pregnancies and deformed offspring reveal how complex and subtle are the steps in reproduction. For these reasons, Wilmut concludes that human cloning is not only unethical, but also impractical. He argues instead for creating blastocysts, the hollow, days-old spheres of cells lined with embryonic stem cells. These would make it possible, for example, to study hereditary diseases, to test treatments for them, maybe even to correct the defects that cause them. “A blastocyst is not a person,” the authors passionately contend. They hope that gradual growth in knowledge, the generation of useful applications and sheer familiarity with the science (here they make an apt comparison with in vitro fertilization technology) might bring around the naysayers, especially if strict regulation assures the highest ethical standards.
The how of cloning, beautifully told by optimists who believe that wise heads and good science will justify the whys.Pub Date: June 12, 2006
ISBN: 0-393-06066-7
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
Italian theoretical physicist Rovelli (General Relativity: The Most Beautiful of Theories, 2015, etc.) shares his thoughts on the broader scientific and philosophical implications of the great revolution that has taken place over the past century.
These seven lessons, which first appeared as articles in the Sunday supplement of the Italian newspaper Sole 24 Ore, are addressed to readers with little knowledge of physics. In less than 100 pages, the author, who teaches physics in both France and the United States, cogently covers the great accomplishments of the past and the open questions still baffling physicists today. In the first lesson, he focuses on Einstein's theory of general relativity. He describes Einstein's recognition that gravity "is not diffused through space [but] is that space itself" as "a stroke of pure genius." In the second lesson, Rovelli deals with the puzzling features of quantum physics that challenge our picture of reality. In the remaining sections, the author introduces the constant fluctuations of atoms, the granular nature of space, and more. "It is hardly surprising that there are more things in heaven and earth, dear reader, than have been dreamed of in our philosophy—or in our physics,” he writes. Rovelli also discusses the issues raised in loop quantum gravity, a theory that he co-developed. These issues lead to his extraordinary claim that the passage of time is not fundamental but rather derived from the granular nature of space. The author suggests that there have been two separate pathways throughout human history: mythology and the accumulation of knowledge through observation. He believes that scientists today share the same curiosity about nature exhibited by early man.
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-18441-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A magnificent account of a central reality of our times, incorporating deep scientific expertise, broad political and social knowledge, and ethical insight, and Idled with beautifully written biographical sketches of the men and women who created nuclear physics. Rhodes describes in detail the great scientific achievements that led up to the invention of the atomic bomb. Everything of importance is examined, from the discovery of the atomic nucleus and of nuclear fission to the emergence of quantum physics, the invention of the mass-spectroscope and of the cyclotron, the creation of such man-made elements as plutonium and tritium, and implementation of the nuclear chain reaction in uranium. Even more important, Rhodes shows how these achievements were thrust into the arms of the state, which culminated in the unfolding of the nuclear arms race. Often brilliantly, he records the rise of fascism and of anti-Semitism, and the intensification of nationalist ambitions. He traces the outbreak of WW II, which provoked a hysterical rivalry among nations to devise the bomb. This book contains a grim description of Japanese resistance, and of the horrible psychological numbing that caused an unparalleled tolerance for human suffering and destruction. Rhodes depicts the Faustian scale of the Manhattan Project. His account of the dropping of the bomb itself, and of the awful firebombing that prepared its way, is unforgettable. Although Rhodes' gallery of names and events is sometimes dizzying, his scientific discussions often daunting, he has written a book of great drama and sweep. A superb accomplishment.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1986
ISBN: 0684813785
Page Count: 932
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986
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