What is Life? Philip Ball in Conversation with Iain McGilchrist

Developments in biology are reshaping our understanding of what life is and pushing us to confront questions of value in new ways. Philip Ball—physicist, longtime contributor and former editor at Nature, and the author of over 25 books—draws together the latest research and insights, exploring life as a system of principles that raises conversations about purpose and meaning in How Life Works: A User’s Guide to the New Biology.

As part of our Meanings of Science Project, Marginalia's Editor and Project Director, Samuel Loncar, hosted a conversation with Philip Ball and Iain McGilchrist, psychiatrist, neuroscience researcher, philosopher, and the author of The Matter With Things.

Ball and McGilchrist are two of our distinguished Meanings of Science Project members helping to create a new culture of scientific literacy and debate that deepens the public understanding of science.

Science is our most powerful source of knowledge. But it remains the least accessible domain of learning. New forms of knowledge and scientific breakthroughs happen every day, yet these insights are rarely made available to stakeholders like policy makers, scholars from other fields, or the public.

With support from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, the Marginalia's “Meanings of Science Project” integrates science's deepest insights and brings them to everyone.