Książki
E-booki
Audiobooki
Muzyka
Filmy
Gry i zabawki
Papiernik
Obcojęzyczne
The Evolution of Imperfection: The Science of Why We Aren’t and Can’t Be Perfect
Autor:
Wydawca: Princeton University Press
Data wydania: 08.04.2025
Typ okładki:twarda okładka
EAN: 9780691247397
Opis
Opis
How understanding our genetic imperfections can change our view of evolution and enrich what it means to be human
If we start with the presumption that evolution is a constantly improving process, some aspects of our evolution just do not make sense. We have a high rate of genetic diseases, for example, and much of our DNA seems to be pointless. In The Evolution of Imperfection, Laurence Hurst explores our apparently rotten genetic luck.
Hurst, a leading authority on evolution and genetics, argues that our evolutionary imperfections proceed directly from two features: the difficulties of pregnancy and the fact that historically there are relatively few of us. In pregnancy, natural selection can favor chromosomes that kill embryos in species (including ours) that continuously receive resources from the mother. Most fertilized eggs don’t make it, and incompatibilities between the fetus and mother can lead to lethal disorders of pregnancy. The historically small population size enhances the role of chance, which in turn leads to both accumulation of unnecessary DNA and more mutation.
So what can save us? One answer may lie in genetic medicine, which has given us therapies that make killer conditions preventable and even curable.
Hurst suggests that our seeming imperfections could be the key to a new way to understand evolution itself. Looking at circumstances that seem to defy explanation, we might come to a richer understanding of how evolution really works, and what it means to be human.
If we start with the presumption that evolution is a constantly improving process, some aspects of our evolution just do not make sense. We have a high rate of genetic diseases, for example, and much of our DNA seems to be pointless. In The Evolution of Imperfection, Laurence Hurst explores our apparently rotten genetic luck.
Hurst, a leading authority on evolution and genetics, argues that our evolutionary imperfections proceed directly from two features: the difficulties of pregnancy and the fact that historically there are relatively few of us. In pregnancy, natural selection can favor chromosomes that kill embryos in species (including ours) that continuously receive resources from the mother. Most fertilized eggs don’t make it, and incompatibilities between the fetus and mother can lead to lethal disorders of pregnancy. The historically small population size enhances the role of chance, which in turn leads to both accumulation of unnecessary DNA and more mutation.
So what can save us? One answer may lie in genetic medicine, which has given us therapies that make killer conditions preventable and even curable.
Hurst suggests that our seeming imperfections could be the key to a new way to understand evolution itself. Looking at circumstances that seem to defy explanation, we might come to a richer understanding of how evolution really works, and what it means to be human.
Szczegóły
Szczegóły
Data wydania: 08.04.2025
Liczba stron: 288
Wymiary: 15.6x23.5
Typ okładki:twarda okładka
Wydawca: Princeton University Press
Autor:
Tytuł:The Evolution of Imperfection: The Science of Why We Aren’t and Can’t Be Perfect
EAN: 9780691247397
Recenzje
Recenzje
Produkt nie ma jeszcze recenzji.
Zamieszczenie recenzji nie wymaga logowania. Sklep nie prowadzi weryfikacji, czy autorzy recenzji nabyli lub użytkowali dany produkt.
Active Inference: The Free Energy Principle in Mind, Brain, and Behavior
166,50 zł
Zapowiedź
Dostępny od 19.08.2025
