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Touching a Nerve
- The Self as Brain
- Narrated by: Karen Saltus
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
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Publisher's Summary
A trailblazing philosopher's exploration of the latest brain science - and its ethical and practical implications.
What happens when we accept that everything we feel and think stems not from an immaterial spirit but from electrical and chemical activity in our brains? In this thought-provoking narrative - drawn from professional expertise as well as personal life experiences - trailblazing neurophilosopher Patricia S. Churchland grounds the philosophy of mind in the essential ingredients of biology. She reflects with humor on how she came to harmonize science and philosophy, the mind and the brain, abstract ideals and daily life.
Offering lucid explanations of the neural workings that underlie identity, she reveals how the latest research into consciousness, memory, and free will can help us reexamine enduring philosophical, ethical, and spiritual questions: What shapes our personalities? How do we account for near-death experiences? How do we make decisions? And why do we feel empathy for others? Recent scientific discoveries also provide insights into a fascinating range of real-world dilemmas - for example, whether an adolescent can be held responsible for his actions and whether a patient in a coma can be considered a self.
Churchland appreciates that the brain-based understanding of the mind can unnerve even our greatest thinkers. At a conference she attended, a prominent philosopher cried out, "I hate the brain; I hate the brain!" But as Churchland shows, he need not feel this way. Accepting that our brains are the basis of who we are liberates us from the shackles of superstition. It allows us to take ourselves seriously as a product of evolved mechanisms, past experiences, and social influences. And it gives us hope that we can fix some grievous conditions, and when we cannot, we can at least understand them with compassion.
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- Douglas
- 01-25-14
Joining The Ranks...
of other neo-Darwinean evolutionary theorists, such as Steven Pinker, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Robert Wright, Churchland argues here, with good cause and good evidence, that the self indeed arises, solely and without aid, from the brain. How exactly that happens, of course, remains a mystery, though there is good scientific evidence for believing that it is so. If this book has a flaw, it is not in its science, but rather in its approach--and one can read it in the title "Touching A Nerve." Churchland, like Dawkins and Dennett, often waves the flag a bit too high and too wildly, being a bit too aggressive against unseen (and probably nonexistent) enemies of her theories. All right, Jerry Fallwell might not take to the idea, but he probably isn't going to be reading this book anyway. If I could say anything to Dennett, Dawkins, and in this case, Churchland, it would be "how about you just calm down about the religious right and do science, believing it will speak for itself to the logical--whereas all the blustering in the world won't do a thing in regard to the illogical." Notwithstanding, the book is still well-done and is a fine addition to the growing neo-Darwinean canon.
9 people found this helpful
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- Gary
- 04-26-15
Mind explained by what we know not magic
The best understanding comes about by talking about what we know. There is no explanatory power in invoking the supernatural when trying to explain anything including the problem of consciousness. The idea of a soul to explain consciousness adds nothing to our understanding. This book looks at how we no longer need the Cartesian duality of the mind and the brain in order to explain how we think.
This book looks at the 'hard problem' of consciousness and goes about systematically explaining why it should never be considered unsolvable or classified as the 'hard problem' and how significant progress is currently being made in the field and for which is best explained to layman by a Neuro-Philosopher such as the author is instead of by a neuroscientist.
She writes in a very conversational manner and excels at story telling. The book really comes alive when she gives real life stories from her past. But, make no mistake, she doesn't dance around explaining difficult concepts about evolution, genetics, brain functions, and even the common fallacies you'll often hear which over simplify about race (such as the truly vile book by Nicolas Wade, 'A Troublesome Inheritance'), gender identity and free will. She did point out in the book that Daniel Dennett (whose books I love and have listened to on Audible) is wrong when he says that consciousness needs language. I still love Dennett but Churchland is right on the points she made.
Overall a very sophisticated book written in a conversational manner even while covering hard to understand topics.
4 people found this helpful
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- Lake
- 11-25-13
common sense gone systematic
The feeling for something, and the sense of being something are hallmarks of human experience. The nature of the self that knows these things is perhaps the most ancient discussion in the humanities. What I find remarkable, as someone who finished graduate school in the early 1980's, is the tremendous sense that somehow, finally, we are about to really understand the brain. The last thirty years has seen remarkable expansion of knowledge in the fields we collectively call "neuroscience."
This concise work by Dr. Churchland, explores neuroscientific contributions to many of the old arguments about the nature of the self with particular attention to moral philosophy, and how we come to be the persons we are. While clearly versed in the scientific material, and able to draw appropriate implications from the research (in stark contrast to some authors who seem simply carried away by the implications of the science) the narrative (performed gracefully by Karen Saltus) is down home and even folksy.
Interwoven with the science are teaching stories from a rural Canadian background. The stories illustrate the author's invitation to view the world (including the sense of self) as phenomena of mind, emerging from our biological brains. In a worldview grounded in biology and the philosophy of science, she finds the commonsense view that we are unique creatures with brains which are constructed by evolutionary processes that leave us with much in common. She finds herself personally comfortable, and I would say hopeful, that this understanding does not amount to "paradise lost," but rather embraces new possibilities in appreciating complexity and difference.
3 people found this helpful
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- F. Huebener
- 01-10-14
Rock on Pat
If you could sum up Touching a Nerve in three words, what would they be?
Neuroscience for everbody
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
“Rock on Berti!” (Bertrand Russell). I like being able to cry at the ending of Anna Karenina and Dr. Schiwago, but I also enjoy shedding a tear or two after the final paragraphs of a well-written science book.
Neurophilosopher Patricia Churchland (according to Wikipedia an eliminative materialist), composes beautifully clear, straightforward sentences, and, in true story telling style, transports us to the cutting edge of neuroscience. I decided to finally read Patricia Churchland to protect myself against the temptations of quantum neuroscience, for which I have a strange liking that may well be more artistic than scientific.
The book (I actually listened to it as an audiobook while jogging and cleaning) summarizes the current state of neuroscience including the latest research into consciousness, memory, and free will, as Churchland examines their relationship to contemporary philosophical, ethical, and spiritual questions. There is nothing breathtakingly new to somebody who follows the field on a regular basis; for (neuro)scientists quite a bit is old hat, e.g. how neurons work. Yet it is written in such a comprehensible style that it rejuvenates and replenishes the old memory bank – very useful for science journalists.
There are a couple of topics I slightly disagree with, and I find her somewhat conservative (e.g. difference between man and woman). But I guess if I want a more visionary approach I should read science fiction.
I liked the way she ties her ideas to her upbringing on a farm, bringing highflying neurophilosophical thoughts down to earth. My attention wandered when it came to paragraphs obviously directed at science-skeptics. I guess this is directed more towards US readers. In short: a great (audio-)book for anybody, especially laypeople interested in a good overview of neuroscience. Rock on Pat.
2 people found this helpful
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- Peter
- 08-22-15
Enlightening!
An approachable account of what the findings in neuroscience mean about the way we see ourselves. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in the subject in particular to those with an optimistic outlook.
1 person found this helpful
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- Alexander Reid
- 08-31-13
The plainspoken truth about who we really are
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This is a heroic attempt to summarize what we know about who we are, why we're here, and why we do the things we do. It is an attempt to "stand in the truth" which is very challenging to our deeply held desire to be metaphysical beings or something other than biological brains in an all too physical body.
What other book might you compare Touching a Nerve to and why?
The God Delusion, also written by a biologist (Richard Dawkins), also resisting the pull to superstition and pseudoscience.
What three words best describe Karen Saltus’s voice?
Unfortunately preachy, but clear.
What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?
The orchestra of hormones that regulate human aggression.
Any additional comments?
Standing in the truth is hard work, but rewarding.
1 person found this helpful
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- xiangyang zhao
- 10-01-22
Mildly disappointing
I purchased this book after reading an op-Ed article on gender and sexual diversity. I did a little research of Dr churchland and prepared for her progressive view of things aligned with Steven pinker etc.
I wanted to say I did not regrete. Cos it did help me firm up ideas on gender and free will, but it is mild disappointing how the content is structured. Aka the balance of science and philosophy. Overall it is laudable effort in a field which needs refreshing .
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- Mrs. I P. Sowden
- 05-24-14
Narration destroys content
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment
Any additional comments?
This book is thoughtful if slightly superficial.It discusses important subjects but the narration is suited to cosmetic sales or historical novels. She tries to add inappropriate excitement and sexiness. Let the words convey the meaning.
1 person found this helpful
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First 75% Really Great. Last Part Not as Much.
- By Market Maven on 10-04-20
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Consciousness and the Brain
- Deciphering How the Brain Codes Our Thoughts
- By: Stanislas Dehaene
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
How does the brain generate a conscious thought? And why does so much of our knowledge remain unconscious? Thanks to clever psychological and brain-imaging experiments, scientists are closer to cracking this mystery than ever before. In this lively book, Stanislas Dehaene describes the pioneering work his lab and the labs of other cognitive neuroscientists worldwide have accomplished in defining, testing, and explaining the brain events behind a conscious state.
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I had no idea we knew this much.
- By Tristan on 01-18-16
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Neuroscience for Dummies, 2nd Edition
- By: Frank Amthor
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Investigating how your senses work, how you move, and how you think and feel, Neuroscience for Dummies, 2nd Edition is your straightforward guide to the most complicated structure known in the universe: the brain. Covering the most recent scientific discoveries and complemented with engaging anecdotes that help bring the information to life, this updated edition offers a compelling and plain-English look at how the brain and nervous system function.
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painful narration
- By heizenberg on 08-10-21
By: Frank Amthor
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The Feeling of Life Itself
- Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed
- By: Christof Koch
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Psychologists study which cognitive operations underpin a given conscious perception. Neuroscientists track the neural correlates of consciousness in the brain, the organ of the mind. But why the brain and not, say, the liver? How can the brain, three pounds of highly excitable matter, a piece of furniture in the universe, subject to the same laws of physics as any other piece, give rise to subjective experience? Koch argues that what is needed to answer these questions is a quantitative theory that starts with experience and proceeds to the brain.
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Constant references to illustrations
- By Mark on 11-03-21
By: Christof Koch
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Conscience
- The Origins of Moral Intuition
- By: Patricia S. Churchland
- Narrated by: Suzie Althens
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
All social groups have ideals for behavior, even though ethics vary among different cultures and among individuals within each culture. In trying to understand why, Churchland brings together an understanding of the influences of nature and nurture. She looks to evolution to elucidate how, from birth, our brains are configured to form bonds, to cooperate, and to care. Conscience delves into scientific studies, particularly the fascinating work on twins, to deepen our understanding of whether people have a predisposition to embrace specific ethical stands.
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Started out well
- By Ashraf Haddad on 05-18-20
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Braintrust
- What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality
- By: Patricia S. Churchland
- Narrated by: Catherine Dyer
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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What is morality? Where does it come from? And why do most of us heed its call most of the time? In Braintrust, neurophilosophy pioneer Patricia Churchland argues that morality originates in the biology of the brain. She describes the "neurobiological platform of bonding" that, modified by evolutionary pressures and cultural values, has led to human styles of moral behavior. The result is a provocative genealogy of morals that asks us to reevaluate the priority given to religion, absolute rules, and pure reason in accounting for the basis of morality.
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As The Decade Of The Brain Stretches...
- By Douglas on 01-22-14
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Theory and Reality
- An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
- By: Peter Godfrey-Smith
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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How does science work? Does it tell us what the world is "really" like? What makes it different from other ways of understanding the universe? In Theory and Reality, Peter Godfrey-Smith addresses these questions by taking the listener on a grand tour of 100 years of debate about science. The result is a completely accessible introduction to the main themes of the philosophy of science.
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First 75% Really Great. Last Part Not as Much.
- By Market Maven on 10-04-20
-
Consciousness and the Brain
- Deciphering How the Brain Codes Our Thoughts
- By: Stanislas Dehaene
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How does the brain generate a conscious thought? And why does so much of our knowledge remain unconscious? Thanks to clever psychological and brain-imaging experiments, scientists are closer to cracking this mystery than ever before. In this lively book, Stanislas Dehaene describes the pioneering work his lab and the labs of other cognitive neuroscientists worldwide have accomplished in defining, testing, and explaining the brain events behind a conscious state.
-
-
I had no idea we knew this much.
- By Tristan on 01-18-16
-
Neuroscience for Dummies, 2nd Edition
- By: Frank Amthor
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Investigating how your senses work, how you move, and how you think and feel, Neuroscience for Dummies, 2nd Edition is your straightforward guide to the most complicated structure known in the universe: the brain. Covering the most recent scientific discoveries and complemented with engaging anecdotes that help bring the information to life, this updated edition offers a compelling and plain-English look at how the brain and nervous system function.
-
-
painful narration
- By heizenberg on 08-10-21
By: Frank Amthor
-
The Feeling of Life Itself
- Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed
- By: Christof Koch
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Psychologists study which cognitive operations underpin a given conscious perception. Neuroscientists track the neural correlates of consciousness in the brain, the organ of the mind. But why the brain and not, say, the liver? How can the brain, three pounds of highly excitable matter, a piece of furniture in the universe, subject to the same laws of physics as any other piece, give rise to subjective experience? Koch argues that what is needed to answer these questions is a quantitative theory that starts with experience and proceeds to the brain.
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Constant references to illustrations
- By Mark on 11-03-21
By: Christof Koch
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Becoming Human
- A Theory of Ontogeny
- By: Michael Tomasello
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Tomasello assembles nearly three decades of experimental work with chimpanzees, bonobos, and human children to propose a new framework for psychological growth between birth and seven years of age. Becoming Human places human sociocultural activity within the framework of modern evolutionary theory and shows how biology creates the conditions under which culture does its work.
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Social
- Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect
- By: Matthew D. Lieberman
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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In Social, renowned psychologist Matthew Lieberman explores groundbreaking research in social neuroscience, revealing that our need to connect with other people is even more fundamental, more basic, than our need for food or shelter. Because of this, our brain uses its spare time to learn about the social world-other people and our relation to them.
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"Bowling Alone" For Your Brain...
- By Douglas on 12-08-13
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Fake Science
- Exposing the Left's Skewed Statistics, Fuzzy Facts, and Dodgy Data
- By: Austin Ruse
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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You'd think we were living in the golden age of science and reason. But the truth is far more sinister, says Austin Ruse. We're actually living in the age of the low information voter, easily misled by all-too-convincing false statistics and studies. In Fake Science, Ruse debunks so-called "facts" used to advance political causes one after the other, revealing how poorly they stand up to actual science.
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Right Wing Scientist has issues with this book
- By Dorothy on 01-09-18
By: Austin Ruse
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The Enigma of Reason
- By: Hugo Mercier, Dan Sperber
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Reason, we are told, is what makes us human, the source of our knowledge and wisdom. If reason is so useful, why didn't it also evolve in other animals? If reason is that reliable, why do we produce so much thoroughly reasoned nonsense? In their groundbreaking account of the evolution and workings of reason, Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber set out to solve this double enigma.
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Reason after the fact
- By Philomath on 12-02-17
By: Hugo Mercier, and others
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The Meaning of Human Existence
- By: Edward O. Wilson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Hogan
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Searching for meaning in what Nietzsche once called “the rainbow colors” around the outer edges of knowledge and imagination, Edward O. Wilson bridges science and philosophy to create a 21st century treatise on human existence. Once criticized for his over-reliance on genetics, Wilson unfurls here his most expansive and advanced theories on human behavior, recognizing that, even though the human and spider evolved similarly, the poet’s sonnet is wholly different than the spider’s web.
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Pleasant Humble Simple Rationalism
- By Michael on 03-14-15
By: Edward O. Wilson
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Darwin's Black Box
- The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution
- By: Michael J. Behe
- Narrated by: Marc William
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Naming Darwin's Black Box to the National Review's list of the 100 most important nonfiction works of the 20th century, George Gilder wrote that it "overthrows Darwin at the end of the 20th century in the same way that quantum theory overthrew Newton at the beginning". Discussing the book in the New Yorker in May 2005, H. Allen Orr said of Behe, "He is the most prominent of the small circle of scientists working on intelligent design, and his arguments are by far the best known."
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The masterpiece that launched the ID movement
- By CKDexter on 11-25-19
By: Michael J. Behe
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Loneliness
- Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection
- By: John T. Cacioppo, William Patrick
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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John T. Cacioppo's groundbreaking research topples one of the pillars of modern medicine and psychology: the focus on the individual as the unit of inquiry. By employing brain scans, monitoring blood pressure, and analyzing immune function, he demonstrates the overpowering influence of social context - a factor so strong that it can alter DNA replication.
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does offer any way of dealing with lonely
- By Bartlomiej Sliwa on 09-29-16
By: John T. Cacioppo, and others