The Mechanics of Life: A Closer Look at the Inner Workings of Nature

Contents
Preface
	References
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Parasites:  Complexity beyond Evolution
	In Search of Microbes
	A Parasitic Beginning
	Host Control
	In Transit
	The Power of Extended Phenotypes
	Fragile Biodiversity
	Ecological Engineering and Large Blues
	Simulating the Ecosystem
	Gaining from Natural Experiments
	In Brief
	References
		Web Sources
Chapter 2
Antibiotics, Vaccines and Epidemics
	The Journey of Antibiotics
	How Antibiotic Resistance Works
	Teixobactin and the iChip
	Evolutionary Arms Race
	Epidemics versus Medical Efforts
	Economics of Disease Spread
	Psychological Feedback
	Lost in Publication
	Accentuating the Positive
	Democratizing Science
	In Brief
	References
		Web Sources
Chapter 3
Accounting for Genes
	Answering the Ultimate Question
	Memories, Genes and Mad Cow Disease
	Living Computers
	Genetically Engineering Medicine
	Artificial Life
	Gene Editing
	Directing Evolution
	Onwards with Genetic Engineering
	Transgenic Food
	Our Kind of Virus
	In Brief
	References
		Web Sources
Chapter 4
Physics of Life
	Little Differences Matter
	Soup for Starters
	Keeping It Organized
	Insect Engineers
	Valuable Feedback
	The Attractor Factor
	Critical Lines in the Ecosystem
	Patterns of Complexity
	The Gaming Evolution
	Evolution In Silico
	Rise of Machine Intelligence
	Helping with Dementia: Parkinson’s,  Alzheimer’s and ALS
	Feeling Electric
	Lifecycle of Ideas
	Herding Effect and Zombie Ideas
	Robot Surgeons
	Therapeutic Robots
	In Brief
	References
		Figures Source
Chapter 5
Stranger Things in Life
	The First Quantum Biologists
	Technological Revolution
	Quantum Efficiency
	Eau de Quantum?
	Avian Navigators
	Zooming-in on Evolution
	Tinkering with Life
	Turning Back the Clocks
	More Curiosities
	Rise, Red as Dawn
	Wheels within Wheels
	All This and Brains Too
	In Brief
	References
		Websites
Final Remarks
Author Contact Information
Index
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