I’m not sure it’s entirely beside the point though, especially as his warnings and criticisms hinge on that very definition. To my point: there’s a nuanced (and

I’m not sure it’s entirely beside the point though, especially as his warnings and criticisms hinge on that very definition. To my point: there’s a nuanced (and, I would argue, more exact) definition of a machine that cellular systems meet. That lay people (and the occasional person who really ought to know better) misinterpret the metaphor is not a terribly interesting point, and, I think, not a reason to throw out the metaphor. To the authors credit, the explanation of how cells and proteins differ from everyday machines was a fascinating read.