ABSTRACT

Merged Evolution charts the implications of two major forces of change, information technology and biotechnology, combined with a third force, that of 'artifactual' information, which is handed down dichronically from computing device to computing device.
Through developments anticipated in the near future, Dr. Goonatilake describes the merging of these three systems, a convergence which will profoundly affect the biological, social, and technical fields much more than previous studies have implied. Together these changes yield an entirely different history - and a different future of the world for life, nature and civilization. This book addresses the broader issue arising from these important developments using the unifying perspective of general evolutionary theory to yield a fresh and profound insight.

chapter |9 pages

Introduction

part 1|73 pages

Three Lineages and Two Technologies

chapter 1|10 pages

Biological Evolution: The Genetic Lineage

chapter 2|12 pages

The Cultural Stream of Science

chapter 3|12 pages

The Computer Information Flowline

chapter 5|13 pages

Biotechnology

part 2|80 pages

The Three Lineages Merge

chapter 7|29 pages

The Merging of Culture and Genes

chapter 8|18 pages

The Merging of Biology and Computing

part 3|56 pages

Consequences