› › Meaning Beyond Molecules And Hubris Religions Are Onto Something With Regard To Life And Evolution

Meaning beyond Molecules and Hubris:Religions Are onto Something with Regard to Life and Evolution

Author : Ted Christopher

Publisher : Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. USA

Page : 295 pages

File Size : 39,13 MB

Release : 2023-10-17

Category : Antiques & Collectibles

ISBN : 1649976798

Get eBook

Book Description

Modern science’s understanding of life is built upon the belief that all features of life—including of course consciousness—are completely describable in terms of molecules and their activities. From this perspective, living beings can be viewed as simply constituting a particular subset of the material universe, and as such are ultimately defined by the same laws of physics and chemistry. This material-only hypothesis is usually referred to as scientific materialism or materialism, and it is essentially a modern intellectual fixture. If true, this hypothesis has profound implications for life, and in particular eliminates the possibility of deeper and/or religious aspects (and of course free will too).



The Vital Question

Author : Nick Lane

Publisher :

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 47,66 MB

Release : 2016

Category : Cells

ISBN : 9781781250372

Get eBook

Book Description

A game-changing book on the origins of life, called the most important scientific discovery 'since the Copernican revolution' in The Observer.



The Music of Life

Author : Denis Noble

Publisher : OUP Oxford

Page : 169 pages

File Size : 47,65 MB

Release : 2008-02-14

Category : Science

ISBN : 0191578800

Get eBook

Book Description

What is Life? Decades of research have resulted in the full mapping of the human genome - three billion pairs of code whose functions are only now being understood. The gene's eye view of life, advocated by evolutionary biology, sees living bodies as mere vehicles for the replication of the genetic codes. But for a physiologist, working with the living organism, the view is a very different one. Denis Noble is a world renowned physiologist, and sets out an alternative view to the question - one that becomes deeply significant in terms of the living, breathing organism. The genome is not life itself. Noble argues that far from genes building organisms, they should be seen as prisoners of the organism. The view of life presented in this little, modern, post-genome project reflection on the nature of life, is that of the systems biologist: to understand what life is, we must view it at a variety of different levels, all interacting with each other in a complex web. It is that emergent web, full of feedback between levels, from the gene to the wider environment, that is life. It is a kind of music. Including stories from Noble's own research experience, his work on the heartbeat, musical metaphors, and elements of linguistics and Chinese culture, this very personal and at times deeply lyrical book sets out the systems biology view of life.



The Language of God

Author : Francis Collins

Publisher : Simon and Schuster

Page : 227 pages

File Size : 30,17 MB

Release : 2008-09-04

Category : Science

ISBN : 1847396151

Get eBook

Book Description

Dr Francis S. Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists, working at the cutting edge of the study of DNA, the code of life. Yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God. How does he reconcile the seemingly unreconcilable? In THE LANGUAGE OF GOD he explains his own journey from atheism to faith, and then takes the reader on a stunning tour of modern science to show that physics, chemistry and biology -- indeed, reason itself -- are not incompatible with belief. His book is essential reading for anyone who wonders about the deepest questions of all: why are we here? How did we get here? And what does life mean?



Life Sciences, Information Sciences

Author : Thierry Gaudin

Publisher : John Wiley & Sons

Page : 400 pages

File Size : 30,84 MB

Release : 2018-05-08

Category : Social Science

ISBN : 1786302438

Get eBook

Book Description

Developed from presentations given at the Cerisy SVSI (Sciences de la vie, sciences de l’information) conference held in 2016, this book presents a broad overview of thought and research at the intersection of life sciences and information sciences. The contributors to this edited volume explore life and information on an equal footing, with each considered as crucial to the other. In the first part of the book, the relation of life and information in the functioning of genes, at both the phylogenetic and ontogenetic levels, is articulated and the common understanding of DNA as code is problematized from a range of perspectives. The second part of the book homes in on the algorithmic nature of information, questioning the fit between life and automaton and the accompanying division between individualization and invariance. Consisting of both philosophical speculation and ethological research, the explorations in this book are a timely intervention into prevailing understandings of the relation between information and life.



Science, Evolution, and Creationism

Author : Institute of Medicine

Publisher : National Academies Press

Page : 88 pages

File Size : 26,46 MB

Release : 2008-01-28

Category : Science

ISBN : 0309105862

Get eBook

Book Description

How did life evolve on Earth? The answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable. In the book Science, Evolution, and Creationism, a group of experts assembled by the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine explain the fundamental methods of science, document the overwhelming evidence in support of biological evolution, and evaluate the alternative perspectives offered by advocates of various kinds of creationism, including "intelligent design." The book explores the many fascinating inquiries being pursued that put the science of evolution to work in preventing and treating human disease, developing new agricultural products, and fostering industrial innovations. The book also presents the scientific and legal reasons for not teaching creationist ideas in public school science classes. Mindful of school board battles and recent court decisions, Science, Evolution, and Creationism shows that science and religion should be viewed as different ways of understanding the world rather than as frameworks that are in conflict with each other and that the evidence for evolution can be fully compatible with religious faith. For educators, students, teachers, community leaders, legislators, policy makers, and parents who seek to understand the basis of evolutionary science, this publication will be an essential resource.



Why Evolution is True

Author : Jerry A. Coyne

Publisher : OUP Oxford

Page : 416 pages

File Size : 12,54 MB

Release : 2010-01-14

Category : Science

ISBN : 019164384X

Get eBook

Book Description

For all the discussion in the media about creationism and 'Intelligent Design', virtually nothing has been said about the evidence in question - the evidence for evolution by natural selection. Yet, as this succinct and important book shows, that evidence is vast, varied, and magnificent, and drawn from many disparate fields of science. The very latest research is uncovering a stream of evidence revealing evolution in action - from the actual observation of a species splitting into two, to new fossil discoveries, to the deciphering of the evidence stored in our genome. Why Evolution is True weaves together the many threads of modern work in genetics, palaeontology, geology, molecular biology, anatomy, and development to demonstrate the 'indelible stamp' of the processes first proposed by Darwin. It is a crisp, lucid, and accessible statement that will leave no one with an open mind in any doubt about the truth of evolution.



Finding the Fountain of Youth

Author : Aharon W. Zorea

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Page : 402 pages

File Size : 16,27 MB

Release : 2017-04-26

Category : Psychology

ISBN : 1440837996

Get eBook

Book Description

Separating truth from hype, this book introduces readers to the topic of life extension in a holistic manner that provides scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives. While the story of 16th-century explorer Juan Ponce de León futilely searching for the Fountain of Youth is likely a myth, it is true that for many centuries, mankind has sought "a cure for aging." Today, the anti-aging and longevity industry is a multibillion-dollar industry, and medical advances are continuing to find ways to add to our time on earth. Finding the Fountain of Youth: The Science and Controversy behind Extending Life and Cheating Death introduces readers to the topic of life extension in a holistic manner, examining the topic through scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives. It also highlights key medical and ethical controversies related to this particular area of gerontology and serves as a gateway for further research and study. The book's chapters address the history of movements to remain youthful, from ancient times through the modern era; past medical advances that significantly extended the average lifespan; and our cultural obsession with "staying young" that has spawned the anti-aging industry. Readers will learn about basic principles of aging and anti-aging, as well as the science behind the methods—both proven and hypothetical—that serve to extend the lifespan. The final section of the book examines controversial issues and debates related to life extension, such as global overpopulation, length of life versus quality of life, and socioeconomic concerns.



The Challenge of Evolution to Religion

Author : Johan De Smedt

Publisher : Cambridge University Press

Page : pages

File Size : 24,30 MB

Release : 2020-02-13

Category : Science

ISBN : 1108626815

Get eBook

Book Description

This Element focuses on three challenges of evolution to religion: teleology, human origins, and the evolution of religion itself. First, religious worldviews tend to presuppose a teleological understanding of the origins of living things, but scientists mostly understand evolution as non-teleological. Second, religious and scientific accounts of human origins do not align in a straightforward sense. Third, evolutionary explanations of religion, including religious beliefs and practices, may cast doubt on their justification. We show how these tensions arise and offer potential responses for religion. Individual religions can meet these challenges, if some of their metaphysical assumptions are adapted or abandoned.



Chance or Purpose?

Author : Christoph Schoenborn

Publisher : Ignatius Press

Page : 157 pages

File Size : 29,72 MB

Release : 2009-09-03

Category : Religion

ISBN : 1681490854

Get eBook

Book Description

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn's article on evolution and creation in The New York Times launched an international controversy. Critics charged him with biblical literalism and 'creationism'. In this book, Cardinal Schönborn responds to his critics by tackling the hard questions with a carefully reasoned "theology of creation". Can we still speak intelligently of the world as 'creation' and affirm the existence of the Creator, or is God a 'delusion'? How should an informed believer read Genesis? If God exists, why is there so much injustice and suffering? Are human beings a part of nature or elevated above it? What is man's destiny? Is everything a matter of chance or can we discern purpose in human existence? In his treatment of evolution, Cardinal Schönborn distinguishes the biological theory from 'evolutionism', the ideology that tries to reduce all of reality to mindless, meaningless processes. He argues that science and a rationally grounded faith are not at odds and that what many people represent as 'science' is really a set of philosophical positions that will not withstand critical scrutiny. Chance or Purpose? directly raises the philosophical and theological issues many scientists today overlook or ignore. The result is a vigorous, frank dialogue that acknowledges the respective insights of the philosopher, the theologian and the scientist, but which calls on them to listen and to learn from each another.