The Mother of All Genes and Other Adventures in Popular Science
by D. Balasubramanian
Universities Press | 2001 | ISBN 81 7371 382 0 | 195 pages | PDF | 5.35 mb 
http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Genes-Adventures-Popular-Science/dp/8173713820
scanned to PDF by me

Early on in history, it was applications and needs that led to discoveries, rationalizations and laws of science (for example, mechanics, astronomy, and agriculture). A few centuries ago, the situation reversed and science became an intellectual endeavour in itself, quite like arts and humanities, and in turn generated a variety of applications and technologies (steam engine, electrical appliances, transistors, computers). The current situation is again a subtle role reversal, where demands and needs have led to new science (biotechnology, material science, and robotics). In an increasingly literate and technologically aware society, ideas in science need not be opaque even to the poet or the painter. The jargon and the equations, the instruments and implements are technical, but the basis is an idea that can be grasped by anyone. Popularization of science concerns just this-the capturing and interpreting of these ideas in science, and the bringing of "town" and "gown" together. This book on popular science is one such effort.

About the Author
Apart from his professional activities as a biologist, Professor D Balasubramanian has been active in the popularization of science for two decades. Besides his fortnightly column in the national newspaper The Hindu, called "Speaking of Science", he also participates in science programmes on television (UCC TV, Turning Point), radio and on the web. For these efforts, UNESCO, Paris, awarded him the Kalinga Prize for the popularization of science in 1997. He has earlier published Genes and Means, Cats have Nine Lives, and edited The Indian Human Heritage, and The Deccan Heritage.

CONTENTS
1 MOLECULAR MISTAKE AND DIABETES 1
2 GENES THAT CONTROL FOOD PREFERNCE 4
3 A DOCTOR'S DNA DILEMMA 8
4 THE MOTHER OF ALL GENES 13
5 GENE JOCKEYING COMES OF AGE 19
6 HIGH SPEED KNOCKOUT IN THE BRAIN 24
7 ADAM AND EVE WERE FROM AFRICA 30
8 ALUS ARE RARE—A GENETIC OXYMORON? 34
9 ON THE ORIGINS OF INDIANS 39
10 HEAVY WATER AND HEAVING CELLS 45
11 THE LEVINTHAL PARADOX 49
12 FULLER SPHERE OF GEODESIC MOLECULES 53
13 NATURAL AND SUPRANATURAL MOLECULES 57
14 WHAT CAUSES THE SCUM ON TEA? 61
15 THERE IS A HOLE IN MY BUCKY AND THERE IS A BOAT IN MY BOTTLE 67
16 BUT, DEEP BLUE, CAN YOU MAKE MUSIC? 72
17 PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH—PHENOMENON NON GRATA? 78
18 WHY DOES THE STOMACH NOT DICEST ITSELF 82
19 THE NEOLITHIC WHODUNIT AND HOWDUNIT 86
20 TIPPLING RECEPTORS 91
21 ON KUDUMI AND KERATIN 96
22 FAT AS THE FIT FUEL 100
23 ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL 105
24 THE HORSE'S TOOTH AND THE MONGOL CONQUEST 110
25 HOW OLD CAN A HUMAN BEING GET? 114
26 THE SAHARAN ANT AND THE LIZARD - "MADE FOR EACH OTHER" 119
27 OUT OF THE MOUTH OF SNAKES AND COWS 123
28 WHY SAVE THE TIGER? 127
29 SILKEN SNARE OF THE SPIDER 133
30 PEPTIDES THAT PUNCTURE THE BODIES OF BUGS 138
31 WHY IS THERE NO CAMEL GOD? 143
32 THE BITTER TRUTH 148
33 WHY SNAKES HAVE FORKED TONGUES 153
34 OF SEAHORSES AND SEAS 157
35 WAS THE DINOSAUR COLD-BLOODED OR WARM? 161
36 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE CATERPILLAR KIND 166
37 BACTERIOPHAGE—LIVING ANTIBIOTICS 171
38 WHAT SIZE SHOULD A BACTERIUM BE? 176
39 TERMITE TALES AND GULLIVER'S TRAVAILS 182