SINCE 1980, biology has burgeoned from a small-scale discipline in academic labs to a science lavishly funded by governments and industry. The transition hit its stride with the human genome project, then came stem cell research and now there is heavy investment in neurobiology. The people behind these big projects promised a better future, cures for humanity’s ills and a new way to think about ourselves and society.
In this salutary history, Hilary and Steven Rose ask what has become of these claims. They provide the answer by showing how, time after time, the promises turned out to be empty.…
