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1、ThinkingaboutLifePaulS.AgutterDenysN.WheatleyThinkingaboutLifeTheHistoryandPhilosophyofBiologyandOtherSciencesPaulS.AgutterDenysN.WheatleyTheoreticalandCellBiologyDirector,BioMedESConsultancyLeggatHouse,WhiterashesRoad26CastleHillKeithhall,InverurieGlossop,DerbyshireAB51OLXUnitedKi
2、ngdomSK137RRUnitedKingdomISBN978-1-4020-8865-0e-ISBN978-1-4020-8866-7LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2008933269©2008SpringerScience+BusinessMediaB.V.Nopartofthisworkmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,microfi
3、lming,recordingorotherwise,withoutwrittenpermissionfromthePublisher,withtheexceptionofanymaterialsuppliedspecificallyforthepurposeofbeingenteredandexecutedonacomputersystem,forexclusiveusebythepurchaserofthework.Printedonacid-freepaper987654321springer.comPrefaceOurpreviousbook,Abo
4、utLife,concernedmodernbiology.Weusedourpresent-dayunderstandingofcellstodefinethelivingstate,providingabasisforexploringseveralgeneral-interesttopics:theoriginoflife,extraterrestriallife,intelligence,andthepossibilitythathumansareunique.TheideasweproposedinAboutLifewereintendedasst
5、arting-pointsfordebatewedidnotclaimthemastruthbuttheinformationonwhichtheywerebasediscurrentlyacceptedasscientificfact.Whatdoesthatmean?Whatisscientificfactandwhyisitaccepted?Whatisscienceandisbiologylikeothersciencessuchasphysics(exceptinsubjectmat-ter)?Thebookyouarenowreadinginve
6、stigatesthesequestionsandsomerelatedones.LikeAboutLife,itmayparticularlyinterestareaderwhowishestochangecareertobiologyanditsrelatedsubdisciplines.InlinewitharecommendationbytheBritishAssociationfortheAdvancementofSciencethatthepublicshouldbegivenfullerinformationaboutthenatureofsc
7、iencewepresenttheconceptsunderpinningbiologyandasurveyofitshistoricalandphilosophicalbasis.InthefirstchapterofAboutLifewedefinedscience,provisionally,asawayofsatisfyingourcuriositybyformulatingquestionsaboutwhatweobserveandansweringthemdispassionately,withoutmakingvaluejudgements.T
8、hatdefinitionseemedadequat
