The Eighth Day of Creation

The last century saw a revolution in biology with the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA, the nature of the gene and how DNA encodes information, and the study of the fundamental molecules that make up life. Today we are witness to the many fruits of this continuing revolution in molecular biology—a revolution with applications in medicine and agriculture and in disciplines as diverse as synthetic biology and anthropology. It was the start of this biological revolution that is chronicled in Horace Freeland Judson’s seminal book, “The Eighth Day of Creation”, which illuminates how scientific paradigms are shaped, and which provides an engaging narrative of the grand experiments, ideas, and conversations among the pioneers of modern molecular biology. Michael Purugganan Professor of Genomics and Biology, NYU In conversation with Anthony Di Fiore Associate Professor of Anthropology, NYU