Wetware: a computer in every living cell

The continuous repetition of Christian de Duve’s primary thesis in Genetics of Original Sin ensures that however little the reader understands or is interested in biology, he will have no doubt as to the author’s primary concern: Natural selection has made humans poor prognosticators. As evolutionary adaptation is all about living (and reproducing) in the moment, humans have evolved some unfortunate traits and are headed toward a Very Bad End, unless drastic change is implemented. The reader is also certain to realize de Duve’s good news, namely that humans alone can (and must) change their nature. The particulars here, however, are vague and underdeveloped as de Duve loses the clarity and insight he brought to the first three-quarters of the book. Genetics of Original Sin is divided into four parts. “The History of Life on Earth” provides proof of evolution; “The Mechanisms of Life” lays out the rudimentary biology needed to understand de Duve’s main objectives, and in “The Human Adventure,” human evolution, in particular, is described. Finally, “The Challenges of the Future” includes the author’s speculations and suggestions about ways to avert the coming apocalypse. The book draws intriguing parallels to the Christian narrative of evil entering the world through original sin (here played by natural selection) and subsequent redemption (the role of redeemer now played by humankind). De Duve carries this comparison throughout the book and returns again to religion (including the major monotheistic and Eastern traditions) in the final section as a vehicle for changing human nature. The book is careful to distinguish between claims that can be proven by science (evolution) and those that cannot be refuted by science (the existence of God). This crucial distinction prevents de Duve from alienating religious readers. Such readers are important because a primary purpose of the book is to encourage religion as a means to carry the author’s message of human responsibility to the Earth — namely, to reduce the population and curb our more destructive impulses. Overall, the book is a pleasure to read. While the author is certainly no Nathaniel Hawthorne, the prose is pleasantly poetic and the vocabulary extensive, indicative of a well-read individual. The science, as de Duve describes it, remains straightforward and simple, but the ideas he presents and parallels he draws are not, making the book a worthwhile read for biologists as well as politicians and religious leaders. Through the use of careful analogies and clear transitions, de Duve makes biology accessible to virtually any reader. In addition, Genetics of Original Sin often provides a historical context for scientific discovery, describing biological innovation as the work of individuals, thereby heightening the drama of science.