Synthetic biology is one of the 21st century's fastest growing fields of research, as important for technology as for basic science. Building on traditional genetic engineering, which was restricted to changing one or two genes, synthetic biology uses multi-gene modules and pathways to make very significant changes to what cells can do. Synthetic biologists aim to have an impact in fields as diverse as drug manufacture, biofuel production, tackling...

Stewart offers a introduction to the role of mathematics in life sciences, from cellular organization to the behavior and evolution of entire organisms.

Presents animals that use camoflauge and/or mimicry (tricks) to fool predators and prey. A spider builds a big spider "puppet" out of bits of dead leaves, insects parts, and other items. A moth escapes bats by making sounds that interfere with the bats' echolocation and a baby bird mimics a poisonous caterpillar.

"The dramatic and action-packed story of the last mysterious place on earth--the world's seafloor--and the deep-sea divers, ocean mappers, marine biologists, entrepreneurs, and adventurers involved in the historic push to chart it, as well as the opportunities, challenges, and perils this exploration holds now and for the future"--

It all started with Nathanael Johnson's decision to teach his daughter the name of every tree they passed on their walk to day care in San Francisco. This project turned into a quest to discover the secrets of the neighborhood's flora and fauna, and yielded more than names and trivia: Johnson developed a relationship with his nonhuman neighbors. Johnson argues that learning to see the world afresh, like a child, shifts the way we think about nature:...

The million copy international bestseller, critically acclaimed and translated into over 25 languages. As influential today as when it was first published, The Selfish Gene has become a classic exposition of evolutionary thought. Professor Dawkins articulates a gene's eye view of evolution - a view giving centre stage to these persistent units of information, and in which organisms can be seen as vehicles for their replication. This imaginative, powerful,...

A giant lizard takes a colorful approach to blending in with his surroundings and hiding from a group of children.

Answers to such ocean-related questions as what does a shark really eat and how does a sea horse swim?