Alive

Synthetic cells, feral robots, rebellious AI, and the design of radical life

By: Madeline Schwartzman, Edward Ashton (Foreword by)

Write A Review

Hardcover | 28 August 2025

At a Glance

Hardcover
256 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
28.5 x 23.8 x 2.7

Hardcover

RRP $76.99

$60.99

21%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $15.25 with

or

Ships in 3 to 5 business days

A timely examination of a wide range of projects exploring the boundaries of what it means to be alive, speculating on what 'life' is, and how humankind will (or will not) fit into a new order of hybrid species: a sort of sci-fi guidebook to lab-built humans.

A silicone jellyfish with a rat's heart, a drone that smells using the antenna of a moth, wearables made from cultured human skin, an AI-populated digital snack bar in the metaverse. These projects and many more offer a mind-bending, head-turning vision of the future that Madeline Schwartzman demonstrates is just around the corner.

Curated from new developments in synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering, biology and art, this broad-ranging survey demonstrates the myriad ways in which our perception of what it means to be alive has dramatically changed. Where do we draw the new lines? Are there any boundaries we should not cross? And what if... ?

By examining these new 'beings', Alive maps out a vision of new partnerships, uncanny hybrids and collaborative intelligences, as science fiction rapidly becomes science fact.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.