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Covering a range of metaphors from a diverse field of sciences, from cell and molecular biology to evolution, ecology, and biomedicine, Understanding Metaphors in the Life Sciences explores the positive and negative implications of the widespread use of metaphors in the biological and life sciences. From genetic codes, programs, and blueprints, to cell factories, survival of the fittest, the tree of life, selfish genes, and ecological niches, to genome editing with CRISPR's molecular scissors, metaphors are ubiquitous and vital components of the modern life sciences. But how exactly do metaphors help scientists to understand the objects they study? How can they mislead both scientists and laypeople alike? And what should we all understand about the implications of science's reliance on metaphorical speech and thought for objective knowledge and adequate public policy informed by science? This book will literally help you to better understand the metaphorical dimensions of science.
List of contents
1. Metaphors and science; 2. Background metaphors: agents, machines, and information; 3. Genes and genomes: agents, codes, programs, blueprints, and books; 4. Proteins: machines, messengers, and team players; 5. Cells: factories, computers, and social organisms; 6. Evolution: natural selection, the tree of life, and selfish genes; 7. Ecology: the balance of nature, niches, ecosystem health, and gaia; 8. Biomedicine: genetic engineering, genome editing, and cell reprogramming.
About the author
Andrew S. Reynolds is Professor of Philosophy at Cape Breton University, Canada. He is the author of The Third Lens: Metaphor and the Creation of Modern Cell Biology (University of Chicago Press, 2018) and Peirce's Scientific Metaphysics: The Philosophy of Chance, Law and Evolution (Vanderbilt University Press, 2002). He has a PhD in the philosophy of science from the University of Western Ontario.
Summary
Written for a general audience interested in how metaphorical language and thinking is used by life scientists to conceptualize and understand subjects from molecular genetics and cell biology to evolution, ecology, and biomedicine. It reveals the positive and negative implications of metaphors for scientific theory, communication, and education.
