Nick Spencer speaks with science writer Philip Ball. 28/10/2025

Recent decades have seen the gene as supreme in all discussions of what life is and how it works. Whether selfish, co–operative or eternal, it’s genes that matter.

But that picture is changing, in favour of a much subtler, more complex and more layered understanding. Life, it seems, goes all the way down (and up).

So what role do genes play in life? Where, if anywhere, does agency reside? Are human beings more than mere propagation vehicles? How, in effect, does life work?

This week, Nick speaks to Philip Ball about his book ‘How Life Works: A User’s Guide to the New Biology’.

Purchase a copy of Philip’s book here.

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