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Find out moreDr Ben Martynoga is a neuroscientist and science writer. After more than a decade at the forefront of brain research, he swapped his white coat for a pen. He has written on everything from the history of biology through to the latest technological innovations, running, stress and creativity. Always working to open up the hard science and find a compelling angle, he publishes books, chapters, blogs, videos and podcasts. His work appears in the Guardian, New Statesman, the i newspaper, the Financial Times and beyond. He lives, works, wanders and wonders in the Lake District.
September 2020 Book of the Month | Less than one year ago, until November 2019 in fact, SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus hadn’t infected a single person and was completely unknown to nearly all of us. Now it has changed our whole world, yet most of us still have only a hazy idea of what viruses are, which is where this brilliant little book comes in. The Virus tells you everything there is to know about viruses including of course COVID-19. It explains what viruses are, what they look like and do, why they are so successful at making us ill, what we can do to combat them, and why some of them actually help us. If this sounds a bit technical or heavy going, think again: it’s fascinating stuff and presented in a way that makes it really easy to read and understand. The story of coronavirus as told here is an adventure, full of heroes and villains, facts and figures that will stop you in your tracks, and some good jokes too. I can’t think of a more interesting or relevant book for our times – everyone needs to read this! If you're interested in science you can find many similar titles in our Best Non-Fiction collection.
September 2020 Book of the Month | Less than one year ago, until November 2019 in fact, SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus hadn’t infected a single person and was completely unknown to nearly all of us. Now it has changed our whole world, yet most of us still have only a hazy idea of what viruses are, which is where this brilliant little book comes in. The Virus tells you everything there is to know about viruses including of course COVID-19. It explains what viruses are, what they look like and do, why they are so successful at making us ill, what we can do to combat them, and why some of them actually help us. If this sounds a bit technical or heavy going, think again: it’s fascinating stuff and presented in a way that makes it really easy to read and understand. The story of coronavirus as told here is an adventure, full of heroes and villains, facts and figures that will stop you in your tracks, and some good jokes too. I can’t think of a more interesting or relevant book for our times – everyone needs to read this! If you're interested in science you can find many similar titles in our Best Non-Fiction collection.
Reveals some of the thrilling developments that have transformed biology since the 1960s. Highlights the challenges ahead for biologists but suggests what they can learn from the past. Energetic, jargon-free writing that will appeal to a broad audience. During the 1960s Edinburgh became a hotbed for a forward-thinking group of biologists. This is the story of these innovators who saw that life's big mysteries were best tackled by studying its molecular foundations. It introduces the eccentric thinkers, ingenious tinkerers and tenacious experimenters who broke down the cultural barriers between traditional scientific disciplines. They produced a series of transformative ideas and tools that wholly reoriented biology. Edinburgh scientists invented genetic engineering. They laid the foundations for DNA fingerprinting and the human genome project. They also cloned Dolly the sheep, purified the first gene and kick-started the now-influential fields of epigenetics and systems biology. Yet Edinburgh's leading role in most of these world-changing stories have not been told before. Ben Martynoga intertwines science, biography and anecdote to describe the roots and lasting significance of key biological concepts. He describes the crucial micro-details, the blind alleys, botched experiments, and chance encounters to give a rare insight into the way science really progresses. Now, in the 21st century, biology is increasingly a 'big science' endeavour. A deeper understanding of biology could deliver not only new drugs and diagnostics, but also improved ways to feed, clothe and fuel us. But the world still awaits the long-promised fruits of biology's molecular revolution. The successes of Edinburgh's unsung molecular pioneers remind us why it is crucial to carve out space for small-scale, curiosity-led research.
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