Synopses & Reviews
Be on hand to witness some of the most monumental scientific discoveries of the past three millennia.
This engaging collection offers readers the unique experience of being on hand to witness some of the most epic breakthrough in the history of science. From ancient Greeks Thales and Pythagoras to Enrico Fermi, Francis Watson and James Crick, and even Dolly the Sheep, Science Firsts provides an unparalleled opportunity to peer over the shoulders of great scientists as they become the first to set eyes on new worlds. Over the course of thirty-five concise, superbly written accounts, science writer Robert Adler takes readers on an lively journey through nearly three millennia of epic scientific discovery, offering accessible explanations of the science involved along with vivid historical and biographical details that help place the discoveries and their discoverers in context for contemporary readers.
A fascinating collection of stories about key Firsts in science:
- Pythagoras intuited that the earth was round
- Charles Darwin discovered the source of nature's intricate diversity
- Marie Curie traced radioactivity to the atom
- Edwin Hubble discovered the expanding universe
- Albert Einstein reshaped our views of matter and energy, space and time
- Lynn Margulis showed that nature is far more promiscuous and creative than Darwin dreamed
These brilliant men and women are part of a very special groupscientists who made truly original, groundbreaking discoveries.
Science Firsts tells the stories of thirty-five of the most important firsts in the history of science. You'll encounter such extraordinary figures as Enrico Fermi, the first to unleash the power of the atom; Joseph Priestley, the first to produce oxygen and glimpse photosynthesis in action; and Guglielmo Marconi, the first to make wireless communication a reality.
Science Firsts reveals how these incredible minds venture into previously unseen territory to satisfy their hunger for knowledge and, in doing so, changed the course of history.
Review
* ""...a fascinating collection of stories about key 'firsts' in the history of science..."" (
Materials World, December 2002)
""...I think scientists and lay readers alike would find this book worthwhile and enjoyable, because of its historical sweep and depth. Something of a Christmas cracker this one..."" (Chemistry in Britain, December 2002)
""...stylishly written...each topic is given the space to breath...an excellent reference list containing a wealth of popular science titles..."" (Physics World, February 2003)
""...this fascinating book is complimented by black and white photographs..."" (The Alchemist, 19 September 2003)
Review
"...a fascinating collection of stories about key 'firsts' in the history of science..." (
Materials World, December 2002)
"...I think scientists and lay readers alike would find this book worthwhile and enjoyable, because of its historical sweep and depth. Something of a Christmas cracker this one..." (Chemistry in Britain, December 2002)
"...stylishly written...each topic is given the space to breath...an excellent reference list containing a wealth of popular science titles..." (Physics World, February 2003)
"...this fascinating book is complimented by black and white photographs..." (The Alchemist, 19 September 2003)
Synopsis
Be on hand to witness some of the most monumental scientific discoveries of the past three millennia
This engaging collection offers readers the unique experience of being on hand to witness some of the most epic breakthrough in the history of science. From ancient Greeks Thales and Pythagoras to Enrico Fermi, Francis Watson and James Crick, and even Dolly the Sheep, Science Firsts provides an unparalleled opportunity to peer over the shoulders of great scientists as they become the first to set eyes on new worlds. Over the course of thirty-five concise, superbly written accounts, science writer Robert Adler takes readers on an lively journey through nearly three millennia of epic scientific discovery, offering accessible explanations of the science involved along with vivid historical and biographical details that help place the discoveries and their discoverers in context for contemporary readers.
Synopsis
Throughout the history of science, there have always been men and women whose curiosity and intellect led them to explore uncharted territories and seek new explanations for the way the universe works. Among those are the privileged few who were the first to glimpse new ideas, break new ground, and make unprecedented discoveries-many of which changed the course of history.
Science Firsts tells the engaging and inspiring stories of thirty-five landmark scientific discoveries. From the first accurate prediction of an eclipse in 585 b.c. to the cloning of Dolly the sheep, science writer Robert Adler clearly explains the context and importance of these discoveries, allowing the reader to peer over the shoulders of the great scientists as they first set eyes on new worlds.
The journey begins in ancient Greece, where philosophers such as Thales and Leucippus became the first to demand explanations about nature that did not depend on the whims of gods. Focusing on key scientists-many well-known, others often overlooked-in a wide range of disciplines, Adler profiles such pathfinders as:
* Anaximander of Miletus-showman, politician, and philosopher, the first to map the world
* Johannes Kepler-a brilliant mystic, the first to place the planets into their true orbits
* Sir Isaac Newton-whose luminous mind made him the first to grasp the basic laws of the universe
* Humphry Davy-a poet and self-made scientist, the first to precisely define chemical elements
* Alfred Wegener-an Arctic explorer, the first to understand the origin of continents and oceans
* Raymond Dart-a maverick anatomist, the first to discover our ancient African roots
* Barbara McClintock-a true visionary, the first to see the inner dynamics of the genetic system
* Claude Shannon-the unicycle-riding mathematician who brought us the Information Age
Science Firsts captures the essence of these gifted explorers and their hard-won discoveries. Without their sense of mystery, diverse talent, and stubborn dedication, the world as we know it would not exist.
About the Author
ROBERT E. ADLER, Ph.D., is a freelance science writer who contributes frequently to Nature and other leading scientific publications. He lives in northern California, where he is currently working on his second book for Wiley, highlighting advances in medicine.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
1. Thales and Natural Causation.
2. Anaximander Orders the Cosmos.
3. Pythagoras Numbers the Cosmos.
4. Atoms and the Void.
5. Aristotle and the Birth of Biology.
6. Aristarchus, the Forgotten Copernicus.
7. Archimedes's Physics.
8. Ibn al-Haitham Illuminates Vision.
9. Copernicus Moves the Earth.
10. Galileo Discovers the Skies.
11. Kepler Solves the Planetary Puzzle.
12. Van Leeuwenhoek Explores the Microcosm.
13. Newton: Gravity and Light.
14. A Breath of Fresh Air.
15. Humphry Davy, Intoxicated with Discovery.
16. Visionaries of the Computer.
17. Darwin's Great Truth.
18. A Genius in the Garden.
19. Mendeleev Charts the Elements.
20. In the Realm of Radioactivity.
21. Planck's Quantum Leap.
22. Wired on Wireless.
23. Rutherford Dissects the Atom.
24. Einstein: Matter, Energy, Space, and Time.
25. Wegener Sets the Continents Adrift.
26. Hubble's Expanding Universe.
27. Out of Africa.
28. Fermi and the Fire of the Gods.
29. McClintock's Chromosomes.
30. A Bit of Genius.
31. The Dynamic Duo of DNA.
32. Echoes of Creation.
33. We Are Not What We Seem.
34. Planetary Pioneers.
35. After Dolly, Life Will Never Be the Same.
References and Further Reading.
Index.