Introduction.- Early Ideas About the Origin of Life.- The Scientific View of the Origin of Life.- Biological Evolution.- Manipulated Evolution and Artificial Life.- Natural Risks to Life.- Human-made Risks from Nuclear and Chemical Warfare.- Human-made Risks and Climate Change with Global Heating.- Artificial Intelligence: Opportunity or Risk?- Life on Other Planets.- Outlook.
This book is aimed at those who wish to understand more about the molecular basis of life and how life on earth may change in coming centuries. Readers of this book will gain knowledge of how life began on Earth, the natural processes that have led to the great diversity of biological organisms that exist today, recent research into the possibility of life on other planets, and how the future of life on earth faces unprecedented pressures from human-made activities. Readers will obtain a perspective on the potential risks of chemical or nuclear warfare, and the ever-increasing risks from human activities that are causing pollution and climate change with global heating. Readers will also learn about ongoing research efforts to generate “designer lifeforms” through synthetic biology and applications of artificial intelligence. The book makes an integrated, up-to-date, overview of topics often considered as separate fields. It should be valuable to students, teachers, and people who are concerned about the future of life.
