Lifecode: The Theory of Biological Self Organization

by Stuart Pivar

This lavishly illustrated text represents the publication of a theory of biological self-organization based on the discovery of a unique geometric configuration with the property to generate the shape of all animal and plant form. The theory of biological self-organization maintains that body form results from patterns arising in living tissue due to simple mechanical forces rather than by genomic code; the genes are responsible only for individual traits.

164 pages, Hardcover

First published December 28, 2004

Reviews

[Slightly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be hard pressed to find anyone else who will comment about this book, so I will have to fill in the gaps.

This amazing book posits that the scientific world is spending way too much time and money studying genes. We, the scientific world should reinvest our energies into the more regal sciences like physics and mechanical engineering.
The idea is quite simple. all objects of the same shape will bend and break in the same way if the same outside forces are placed on them. For example, a door of every VW bug will always dent in same way given the size and location of impact are the same.
this same concept applies in biodevelopment. during early embryonic stages, natural forces cause the blastula to bend and contort in such a way as to create all of the forms of the body.
If we could properly map out the physics involved in this procedure we would have more useful information about biology than any genetic research could give us.

I think everyone should read this book. Its amazing.

And the illustrations aren't bad either