The newest addition to John Brockman's Edge.org series explores life itself, bringing together the world's leading biologists, geneticists, and evolutionary theorists-including Richard Dawkins, Edward O. Wilson, J. Craig Venter, and Freeman Dyson.

Scientists' understanding of life is progressing more rapidly than at any point in human history, from the extraordinary decoding of DNA to the controversial emergence of biotechnology. Featuring pioneering biologists, geneticists, physicists, and science writers, Life explains just how far we've come-and takes a brilliantly educated guess at where we're heading.

Richard Dawkins and J. Craig Venter compare genes to digital information, and sketch the frontiers of genomic research.

Edward O. Wilson reveals what ants can teach us about building a superorganism-and, in turn, about how cells build an organism. Elsewhere, David Haig reports new findings on how mothers and fathers individually influence the human genome, while Kary Mullis covers cutting edge treatments for dangerous viruses. And there's much more in this fascinating volume.

We may never have all the answers. But the thinkers collected in Life are asking questions that will keep us dreaming for generations.

What does it mean to be alive in the age of genomics?

• The Selfish Gene: Richard Dawkins defends his iconic view of Darwinian natural selection and explores the concept of genes as pure, digital information.
• Biotechnology and the Human Genome: J. Craig Venter, a leader of the Human Genome Project, joins Freeman Dyson and others to discuss the origins of life and the future of biotechnology.
• Evolutionary Theory in Action: E. O. Wilson reveals what ants can teach us about building a superorganism, while other contributors explore the legacy of our hominid ancestors and our possible Neanderthal heritage.
• The Future of Life: Esteemed scientists take educated guesses at where we’re heading, covering everything from the rise of synthetic biology to cutting-edge treatments for dangerous viruses.