Challenging Nature: The Clash Between Biotechnology and Spirituality

Silver's approach in "Challenging Nature" is completely different from anything else I've read. His basic message is two-fold. One is that the opposition to genetic engineering is mostly emotional and instinctive, not rational; but that we are often - usually - unaware of the source of our discomfort. The other is that we've gone too far down the road to turn back. What, for instance, are we to do about global warming? Silver admits human contribution to accelerating the process but, massive climate shifts have happened and will happen with or without human activity. Rather than trying to go "back to Nature", we can use our burgeoning technology to overcome obstacles. The former Sahara Forest became the Sahara Desert due to changes at the solar system level, to which humans did not contribute at all. Now it's on its way back... estimates are that global warming will turn between 18 and 25% of the desert back to arable land again. But what if we engineered organisms that can live on the land between lush and desert? If we could pull 25% up to 50%, we could feed millions of people who will be losing their food sources elsewhere due to climate change. Michael Pollan says that food for about a third of all people on earth depends on artificial fertilizer. Silver pegs the number at 40%. Whichever it is, Nature does not have the answers for the situation we have created. Human kind can no longer survive without our supporting technology. Another point that I was vaguely aware of that Silver brought home to me is just how deadly and uncaring "nature" is. Even among flora, it came as a shock to Silver himself when he realized how selfish and destructive species are to one another. In the rain forest, vines choke and kill trees; other vines attack the vines that are attacking the trees; fungi attack the vines. Mistletoe is a deadly parasite, evolved to tap directly into a trees sap for sustenance, but it doesn't stop there. Some species of mistletoe parasitize OTHER mistletoe while the other mistletoe is parasitizing the tree! Do I agree with Silver on every point? Does he have "the answer"? No, and no, I don't think he claims to. But I love reading a book that opens my eyes to points of view and aspects of life that I was unaware of. I recommend it without reservation.

The current battle between "natural" and genetically modified (GM) crops has in many instances taken on the intensity and silliness of the battle between the advocates of AC and DC power in the early years of the twentieth century. The advocates of natural foods it seems will go to any length to portray the "dangers" of GM crops, but have no evidence to support their campaign of vituperation. The biotechnology/scientific community for the most part has shied away from countering these tactics, hoping maybe that by ignoring them they will go away. In only a small number of cases have a few confident individuals stepped up to the plate to defend the virtues and science behind biotechnology. The author of this book is one of these individuals, and he has given the reader a fascinating account of what is possible, and what is not, in genetic engineering and twenty-first century biology in general. He thankfully does not hold back in countering the exaggerations and misrepresentations that emanate both from religious circles and "New Age secularists." But the book contains more than just counterarguments, for the author discusses some of the modern developments in biology that may have not caught the attention of the average reader. These developments are awesome if viewed by what was possible in biotechnology only two decades ago. Breathtaking advances have occurred since then, and with even more coming in the years ahead, one could argue easily that this is the best time ever to be alive. And life is what this book is about, that is, natural life, which the author argues correctly constitutes genetically modified organisms as well as organisms that have come about without the intervention of humans. To claim otherwise is usually the province of religion or some other form of superstition, is part of a vague political goal, or is at times as the author puts it "hidden in layers of self-deception." He therefore does not hesitate to criticize religious beliefs and the elusive concept of "faith" and for the most part his commentary is correct and avoids unnecessary confrontation. Even the concept of the human self as being a unique and well-defined entity is questioned by the author, quoting some of the latest research in neuroscience that supports the notion that the self is an organized conglomeration of neuronal synapses. The concept of the "soul" is criticized and set aside as being superfluous and lacking scientific support. Such concepts, along with many of the common superstitions and beliefs that seem to transcend culture can be rejected with confident Laplacian pronouncements. But the best part of this book is the author's speculations on the future of genetics. He points out that the developmental engineering of life forms, such as the creation of dinosaur genomes, as very plausible. This would be done by utilizing `evolutionary deconstruction' to `reconstruct' genomes that are long extinct. He points out that such developments are happe

This book is a great journey through sience and philosophy. If you "hot button" topics currently debated by society today. Another good book in the realm of Gould, Diamond, Boyer...

In 1633 Galileo was put on trial by the Catholic Church because he dared to challenge the church's belief that everything revolved around the earth. The church could have looked through his telescope and seen the evidence but they preferred to keep their beliefs and thought they could by sentencing Galileo to life under house arrest. At that he was treated better than Giordano Bruno who was burned at the stake for essentially the same 'crime.' That's what happened in the study of physics. The key was the church's support of the basic belief that mankind was at the absolute center of the universe. This same belief seems to be at the heart of the current debate in biology. 'We, mankind, are too important to not be the center of everything. God made us special. No, don't bother me with details about how the world really works.' The current debate has garnered support from the political liberal's Mother Earth myth about anything 'natural' is better. They forget that natural corn has a small hard kernal, that natural cattle are tough and mean. It took centuries to selectively breed what we have now Biotechnology can move it along faster. In this book Dr. Silver presents a scientific challenge to the anti-biology crowd. It is well thought out, well reasoned, and will probably convince no one.

I LOVED this book!!! This wide-ranging book looks at science through the lens of different cultures in the US, Europe, Asia, and even Africa. It is extremely well-researched and often conveys information through story-telling. Even though a lot of scientific information is presented, it is done so with clarity and even in an entertaining manner. The author presents both sides of a controversy, sets out the essential facts, lets you know where he stands, but then invites the reader to make up his or her own mind. The book is a very easy read. It tackles a number of controversial topics and is extremely provocative. It deserves to be widely read!!!