Our Biological Future

A Crossroads for Life, Health, and the Planet
Erscheinungsjahr 2027
ISBN: 978-1-4214-5723-9
Verlag: Johns Hopkins University Press

Buch, Englisch, 224 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm

A clear-eyed vision of the opportunities and risks that shape our biological future.

Biology is no longer merely something we observe; it is increasingly something we can design. From medicine and manufacturing to national security and climate resilience, advances in the life sciences will shape how we live, work, and respond to some of our world's most pressing challenges. Yet public conversations about biotechnology often swing between utopian promises and catastrophic fears, obscuring the choices that will determine how these powerful technologies are used. In Our Biological Future, Gigi Kwik Gronvall cuts through the hype to explain what biology is making possible, which risks are real, and why our choices matter.

Drawing on decades of work in biosecurity and public health, Gronvall explains how advances in genetics, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology are transforming medicine, agriculture, national security, and the global economy. She explores how breakthroughs in biology can improve lives while examining the real risks that accompany rapid scientific progress. Rather than viewing innovation as either inherently dangerous or unquestionably beneficial, she provides readers with the tools to understand the scientific, political, and ethical questions that will define the decades ahead.

Whether the next breakthroughs in biology lead to healthier lives, more secure societies, or greater global instability will depend not only on scientific discoveries, but on the decisions we make. Our Biological Future equips readers to understand those choices—and help shape the future they will create.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Gronvall, Gigi Kwik

Fachgebiete

• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Futurologie (Interdisziplinär)
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Gruppen/Soziale Themen Sozialprognosen
• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Medizin, Gesundheitswesen Public Health, Gesundheitsmanagement, Gesundheitsökonomie, Gesundheitspolitik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Table of Contents
1. Our Biological Future: Public benefits are not guaranteed
2. Facts of Life: The secret lives of microbes and who gets to genetically modify them

3. Real genius: Building an ecosystem that delivers biological innovation
4. Bringing Good Things to Life: Who Gets to Be a Scientist When Art and Science Converge
5. Live Long and Prosper: Medicines extend life, but when longevity is for sale, it creates false hope
6. Deadly Intent: Bioweapons—an old idea, now paired with powerful tools
7. Getting a Clue: To stop diseases, it is essential to understand where they come from
8. Who will win the future? Biotechnology in an arena of global competition
9. Don't Panic: Get ready—or not—for the next pandemic
10. Reality bites: The biological consequences of mistaken beliefs
11. The only way out is through: The future of biological discovery
Acknowledgments
Author Bio

Über Autor(innen)

Gronvall, Gigi Kwik
Gigi Kwik Gronvall is a professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is the author of Synthetic Biology: Safety, Security, and Promise and Preparing for Bioterrorism: The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Leadership in Biosecurity.