What was your favorite part of Life beyond Molecules and Genes and why?
My favorite chapter is the one on complexity even though it is somewhat of a side issue. I find it particularly interesting because at least for me it explains what is missing from modern explanations for the complexity of life and exposes how daunting and deep the challenge to understand the complex nature of the nervous system really is.
What did you learn from writing the book?
The beauty of this sort of exposition is that the writer does not merely put ideas down on paper (or computer file) that he or she hopes to communicate to others, but writing is a process of discovery, and newly discovered understanding litters Life beyond Molecules and Genes.
What do you read for fun?
As peculiar as it may seem, I find reading books about science and philosophy fun, as well as illuminating.
What is the most interesting “big” question in your field?
Taking my field to be biology broadly, gene and evolutionary theory remain central and as hard as it may be to imagine, important questions remain open about both concepts. The mind/body problem is fascinating, but it presents a giant difficulty that I do not believe that we have the intellectual or experimental tools to tackle at present (other than at the edges). I am also interested in the ancient, but still profound question of “purpose” in biology.
Where do you see your field going in the next few years?
My guess is that things will remain much the same as they are today, with a continued emphasis on DNA and proteins and their properties. Though these efforts will no doubt be productive, as I say in the book those who are “hoping … to find the subtleties and mysteries of life by drawing inferences about life’s deepest nature from modern chemistry and genetics” are bound to be disappointed.
What’s next for you personally?
I am currently working on a new manuscript. It will be a discussion of Darwin’s theory of evolution from a critically important, but long ignored perspective. If my health holds up, in no particular order I have plans for three more: The “characters” of Mendel’s theory, the place of purpose in biology, and finally a memoir about my experiences as an experimental biologist.
Click here to view a brief bio on Stephan Rothman.
CHOICE calls From Galileo to Gell-Mann “a striking collection of anecdotes about and by scientists concerning the aesthetics of the pursuit of knowledge.”
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