Biopunk: DIY Scientists Hack the Software of Life
by Marcus Wohlsen
- Used
- very good
- Paperback
- Condition
- Very Good/No Jacket as Issued
- ISBN 10
- 1617230022
- ISBN 13
- 9781617230028
- Seller
-
La Porte, Texas, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
Bill Gates recently told Wired that if he were a teenager today, he would be hacking biology. "If you want to change the world in some big way," he says, "that's where you should start-biological molecules." The most disruptive force on the planet resides in DNA. Biotech companies and academic researchers are just beginning to unlock the potential of piecing together life from scratch. Champions of synthetic biology believe that turning genetic code into Lego-like blocks to build never-before-seen organisms could solve the thorniest challenges in medicine, energy, and environmental protection. But as the hackers who cracked open the potential of the personal computer and the Internet proved, the most revolutionary discoveries often emerge from out-of-the-way places, forged by brilliant outsiders with few resources besides boundless energy and great ideas. In Biopunk , Marcus Wohlsen chronicles a growing community of DIY scientists working outside the walls of corporations and universities who are committed to democratizing DNA the way the Internet did information. The "biohacking" movement, now in its early, heady days, aims to unleash an outbreak of genetically modified innovation by making the tools and techniques of biotechnology accessible to everyone. Borrowing their idealism from the worlds of open-source software, artisinal food, Internet startups, and the Peace Corps, biopunks are devoted advocates for open-sourcing the basic code of life. They believe in the power of individuals with access to DNA to solve the world's biggest problems. You'll meet a new breed of hackers who aren't afraid to get their hands wet, from entrepreneurs who aim to bring DNA-based medical tools to the poorest of the poor to a curious tinkerer who believes a tub of yogurt and a jellyfish gene could protect the world's food supply. These biohackers include: - A duo who started a cancer drug company in their kitchen - A team who built an open-source DNA copy machine - A woman who developed a genetic test in her apartment for a deadly disease that had stricken her family Along with the potential of citizen science to bring about disruptive change, Wohlsen explores the risks of DIY bioterrorism, the possibility of genetic engineering experiments gone awry, and whether the ability to design life from scratch on a laptop might come sooner than we think.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Seller
- Bookmarc's (US)
- Seller's Inventory #
- EC38529BB
- Title
- Biopunk: DIY Scientists Hack the Software of Life
- Author
- Marcus Wohlsen
- Format/Binding
- Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- No Jacket as Issued
- ISBN 10
- 1617230022
- ISBN 13
- 9781617230028
- Publisher
- Current, Inc.
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2011
- Keywords
- SCIENCE BIOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCE UNCORRECTED PROOF ARC
- Bookseller catalogs
- Science / Biology;
- Size
- 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall
Terms of Sale
Bookmarc's
Bookmarc's has a 100% money back guarantee on books returned within 30 days of the date they are mailed to you and it is not as described.
NOTE: For International Orders (Any orders outside of the United States)
We regret that we are no longer able to cover the shipping costs for any international orders that are lost or damaged in transit. We are able to provide refunds for the book only.
Our shipping provider using United States Postal Service was recently acquired by Stamps.com which allows us to continue to purchase insurance on the book but not on the postage
About the Seller
Bookmarc's
About Bookmarc's
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Shelf Wear
- Shelf wear (shelfwear) describes damage caused over time to a book by placing and removing a book from a shelf. This damage is...
- Uncorrected Proof
- An uncorrected proof is a printed copy of a book that needs to be reviewed for errors and corrections. They are released prior...
- Reading Copy
- Indicates a book that is perfectly serviceable for reading. It may have a defect or damage. As such, reading copy is not a...