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Suppose, for instance, that a gene appeared on the X chromosome that specified the recipe for a lethal poison that killed only sperm carrying Y chromosomes. A man with such a gene would have no fewer children than another man. But he would
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“Different versions of genes rise and fall in popularity driven often by the rise and fall of diseases. There is a regrettable human tendency to exaggerate stability, to believe in equilibrium.”
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
“Indeed, even if the permanent secretary was fat, hypertensive or a smoker, he was still less likely to suffer a heart attack at a given age than a thin, non-smoking, low-blood-pressure janitor.”
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
“The fact that heart disease is a symptom of lack of control explains a good deal about its sporadic appearance. It explains why so many people in senior jobs have heart attacks soon after they retire and ‘take it easy’. From running offices they often move to lowly and menial jobs (washing dishes, walking the dog) in domestic environments run by their spouses.”
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
“Male gorillas monopolise their mates, so their sperm meets no competitors; male chimpanzees share their mates, so each needs to produce large quantities of sperm and mate frequently to increase his chances of being the father. It also explains why male birds sing so hard when already ‘married’. They are looking for ‘affairs’.”
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
“Indeed, their bodies are designed with planned obsolescence called ageing that causes them to decay after they reach breeding age – or, in the case of squid or Pacific salmon, to die at once. None of this makes any sense unless you view the body as a vehicle for the genes, as a tool used by genes in their competition to perpetuate themselves. The body’s survival is secondary to the goal of”
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
― Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
Praneeth’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Praneeth’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
37 books
|
95 friends
74 books
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137 friends
152 books
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45 friends
17 books
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35 friends
15 books
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233 friends
1 book
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127 friends
6 books
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120 friends
3 books
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63 friends
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