I'm preparing a PowerPoint talk to a group of the Women's Institute on the theme of my new book, The Mysterious World of the Human Genome. It's kind of topical since, just a very short time ago, the human genome was deliberately engineered in a scientific experiment for the first time.

Our genome is at the very core of us. It makes us what we are - literally determines the meaning of the deep inviolable self. It controls our formation and development within the womb of our mothers. In the sense of what we call "the epigenetic" portion it continues to control and change us throughout our lives. It's about a lot more than just genes.

The question, then, is how do I explain something that is truly extraordinary but also potentially very complex in a book, or a lecture, to a non-scientific audience or readership. The answer is to keep to a plain and non-technical language. Oh -- but I also have a trick or two up my sleeve that will liberate the imagination of the readers or audience by enabling them to create a wonderful landscape they can travel through in their own imaginations. I literally invite them to step on board a magical ultramicroscopic steam train . . .

The Mysterious World of the Human Genome