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No one can escape a sense of wonder when looking at an organism
from within. From the humblest amoeba to man, from the smallest cell organelle
to the amazing human brain, life presents us with example after example of highly
ordered cellular matter, precisely organized and shaped to perform coordinated
functions. But where does this order spring from? How does a living organism manage
to do what nonliving things cannot do -- bring forth and maintain all that order
against the unrelenting, disordering pressures of the universe? In
The Touchstone of Life, eminent biophysicist Werner Loewenstein seeks answers
to these ancient riddles by applying information theory to recent discoveries
in molecular biology. Taking us into a fascinating microscopic world, he lays
bare an all-pervading communication network inside and between our cells -- a
web of extraordinary beauty, where molecular information flows in gracefully interlaced
circles. Loewenstein then takes us on an exhilarating journey along that web and
we meet its leading actors, the macromolecules, and see how they capture information
from their surrounds; and through the powerful lens of information theory, we
are let in on their trick, whereby they extract order out of the erratic quantum
world -- form out of formless darkness. The Touchstone
of Life flashes with fresh insights into the mystery of life. Boldly straddling
the line between biology and physics, the book offers a breathtaking view of that
hidden world where molecular information turns the wheels of life. And it takes
us to our origin, as it discloses a cosmic information continuum stretching from
the inanimate to the living world and ushers in a groundbreaking principle of
evolution. Loewenstein makes these complex scientific subjects lucid and fascinating,
as he sheds light on the most fundamental aspects of our existence. Werner
R. Loewenstein has won world-renown for his discoveries in cell communication
and biological information transfer. Here he takes us to the very forefront of
science -- the fundamental role of molecular information in the development of
life. He was Professor of Physiology and Director of the Cell Physics Laboratory
at Columbia University; Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physiology
and Biophysics of the University of Miami School of Medicine; and is presently
Director of the Laboratory of Cell Communication at the Marine Biological Laboratory,
Woods Hole. He lives in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and Key Biscane, Florida. |
