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Biology is based on the fundamental laws of nature embodied in chemistry and physics, but the origin and evolution of life on earth were historical events. This makes biology more like astronomy than like chemistry and physics. Neither the organization of the universe nor life as we know it had to evolve as it did. Chance played a central role. Throughout history and continuing today, the genes of some organisms sustain chemical changes that are inherited by their progeny. Many of the changes reduce the fitness of the organism, but some changes improve fitness. Over the long term, competition between sister organisms with random differences in their genes determines which organisms survive in various environments. Although these genetic differences ensure survival, they do not necessarily optimize each chemical life process. The variants that survive merely have a selective advantage over the alternatives. Thus, the molecular strategy of life processes works well but is often illogical. Readers would likely be able to suggest simpler or more elegant mechanisms for many cellular processes described in this book. |
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A Statistical Guide for the Ethically Perplexed
For disciplines concerned with human well-being, such as medicine, psychology, and law, statistics must be used in accordance with standards for ethical practice. A Statistical Guide for the Ethically Perplexed illustrates the proper use of probabilistic and statistical reasoning in the behavioral, social, and biomedical... | | Algebraic Biology: Third International Conference, AB 2008, Castle of Hagenberg, Austria, July 31-August 2, 2008, ProceedingsThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Conference on Algebraic Biology, AB 2008, held at the Castle of Hagenberg, Austria in July 2008 as part of the RISC Summer 2008, organized by the Research Institute for Symbolic Computation.
The 14 revised full papers presented together with 3 tutorial lectures were... | | Raising Capital: Get The Money You Need To Grow Your BusinessWhether your business is just a gleam in your eye, a newly launched operation, or a full-fledged firm that's humming right along, you'll never experience real growth without a substantial infusion of cash. Long gone are the days when venture capital groups seemed to pour millions into every "next big thing." Now it's clear that there is... |
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