Life with purpose

Renowned science writer Philip Ball breaks down the biological research giving meaning to our lives. Biologists balk at any talk of ‘goals’ or ‘intentions’ — but a bold new research agenda has put agency back on the table. In this piece for Aeon magazine, Ball gives his take on one of why biology's most enduring dilemmas: "the ability of living entities to alter their environment (and themselves) with purpose to suit an agenda."