Cultural Writing. Genoa, 22-23 March 2004: At the superb Palazzo Ducale, artists, philosophers and researchers from every background discuss the changes brought upon by the advances made in life sciences in the way we conceive of humanity. This book offers an account of this memorable event in European cultural life; so rare are the opportunities for dialogue between representatives of the worlds of science and the arts. It tackles, in a language which can be understood by all, the burning issues faced by our societies following the tremendous boom in life sciences: the social responsibility of the researchers, the philosophical issues arising from the advances in biology, the role of mediators between scientists and the general public, and the development of new kinds of institutions allowing the people of Europe to take part in the control of changes wrought by these advances.