Robert S. Mulliken, Nobel Laureate in chemistry, always had the intention to write a book about his field of research: molecular orbital theory. This is his scientific autobiography, edited posthumously by his former student Bernard J. Ransil and complemented with a memoir by Friedrich Hund, his scientific protagonist. Mulliken describes his career and gives an account of the contributions of his friends and colleagues at home and in Europe where he frequently travelled. And last but not least, he gives an accurate history of how the molecular orbital theory originated and how it evolved in an atmosphere of international exchange. The book is written in a particularly lively style, full of reminiscences and scientific facts, interwoven to produce an account of the Life of a Scientist.
Who are scientists? What kind of people are they? What capacities and virtues are thought to stand behind their considerable authority? They are experts—indeed, highly respected experts—authorized to describe and interpret the natural world and widely trusted to help transform knowledge into power and profit. But are they morally different from other people? The Scientific Life is historian Steven Shapin’s story about who scientists are, who we think they are, and why our sensibilities about such things matter. Conventional wisdom has long held that scientists are neither better nor worse than anyone else, that personal virtue does not necessarily accompany technical expertise, and that scientific practice is profoundly impersonal. Shapin, however, here shows how the uncertainties attending scientific research make the virtues of individual researchers intrinsic to scientific work. From the early twentieth-century origins of corporate research laboratories to the high-flying scientific entrepreneurship of the present, Shapin argues that the radical uncertainties of much contemporary science have made personal virtues more central to its practice than ever before, and he also reveals how radically novel aspects of late modern science have unexpectedly deep historical roots. His elegantly conceived history of the scientific career and character ultimately encourages us to reconsider the very nature of the technical and moral worlds in which we now live. Building on the insights of Shapin’s last three influential books, featuring an utterly fascinating cast of characters, and brimming with bold and original claims, The Scientific Life is essential reading for anyone wanting to reflect on late modern American culture and how it has been shaped.
A masterful, timely, fully authorized biography of the great and hugely influential biologist and naturalist E. O. Wilson, one of the most ground-breaking and controversial scientists of our time—from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb “An impressive account of one of the 20th century’s most prominent biologists, for whom the natural world is ‘a sanctuary and a realm of boundless adventure; the fewer the people in it, the better.’” —The New York Times Book Review Few biologists in the long history of that science have been as productive, as ground-breaking and as controversial as the Alabama-born Edward Osborne Wilson. At 91 years of age he may be the most eminent American scientist in any field. Fascinated from an early age by the natural world in general and ants in particular, his field work on them and on all social insects has vastly expanded our knowledge of their many species and fascinating ways of being. This work led to his 1975 book Sociobiology, which created an intellectual firestorm from his contention that all animal behavior, including that of humans, is governed by the laws of evolution and genetics. Subsequently Wilson has become a leading voice on the crucial importance to all life of biodiversity and has worked tirelessly to synthesize the fields of science and the humanities in a fruitful way. Richard Rhodes is himself a towering figure in the field of science writing and he has had complete and unfettered access to Wilson, his associates, and his papers in writing this book. The result is one of the most accomplished and anticipated and urgently needed scientific biographies in years.
Nature and nurture; In the wilderness; Mathematical statistics; Rothamsted Experimental Station; Tests of significance; The design of experiments; The genetical theory of natural selection; The evolution of dominance; The role of a statistician; Galton Professor of Eugenics; Evolutionary ideas; In the United States and India; Blood groups in man; Losses of war; Arthur Balfour Professor of genetics; The biometrical movement; Scientific inference; Retirement.
Scientists work hard in the lab and in the field to make important discoveries. But who are they really? It turns out they are just like us! Scientists can be any race. And any gender. They can wear lab coats, jeans, or even tutus. And they are people who love to fly drones, make art, and even eat French fries! Meet fourteen phenomenal scientists who might just change the way you think about who a scientist is. They share their scientific work in fields like entomology, meteorology, paleontology, and engineering as well as other interesting facts about themselves and their hobbies. An "if you like this, you'll like that" flowchart in the back of the book helps students identify science careers they might be interested in. Scan a QR code at the end of the book for a video of the scientists introducing themselves!
A revealing and provocative look at the current state of global science We take the advance of science as given. But how does science really work? Is it truly as healthy as we tend to think? How does the system itself shape what scientists do? The Secret Life of Science takes a clear-eyed and provocative look at the current state of global science, shedding light on a cutthroat and tightly tensioned enterprise that even scientists themselves often don't fully understand. The Secret Life of Science is a dispatch from the front lines of modern science. It paints a startling picture of a complex scientific ecosystem that has become the most competitive free-market environment on the planet. It reveals how big this ecosystem really is, what motivates its participants, and who reaps the rewards. Are there too few scientists in the world or too many? Are some fields expanding at the expense of others? What science is shared or published, and who determines what the public gets to hear about? What is the future of science? Answering these and other questions, this controversial book explains why globalization is not necessarily good for science, nor is the continued growth in the number of scientists. It portrays a scientific community engaged in a race for limited resources that determines whether careers are lost or won, whose research visions become the mainstream, and whose vested interests end up in control. The Secret Life of Science explains why this hypercompetitive environment is stifling the diversity of research and the resiliency of science itself, and why new ideas are needed to ensure that the scientific enterprise remains healthy and vibrant.
We all want to be happier, more successful and less stressed, but what really works? From improving creativity to building confidence, self-care to self-esteem, forming better habits and feeling happier,Fix Your Life debunks the fads and explores the real science of self-help. Can you learn to make better decisions? Or break bad habits and form new ones? What should you eat to feel happier? How do you learn a skill faster? Does mindfulness really work? Dispelling mental health myths and self-help fads, here is the truth about meditation, making smarter choices, addiction, CBT, Tai Chi, success, diet, healthy relationships, anxiety, antidepressants, intelligence, willpower and much more. Full of the latest research and ground-breaking evidence, packed with useful advice, this book really could fix your life.
This highly original work presents laboratory science in a deliberately skeptical way: as an anthropological approach to the culture of the scientist. Drawing on recent work in literary criticism, the authors study how the social world of the laboratory produces papers and other "texts,"' and how the scientific vision of reality becomes that set of statements considered, for the time being, too expensive to change. The book is based on field work done by Bruno Latour in Roger Guillemin's laboratory at the Salk Institute and provides an important link between the sociology of modern sciences and laboratory studies in the history of science.
Learn how to think like a scientist, look at the world in a brand-new way and have tons of fun with science comedian Steve Mould's bold and playful kids science book. Supporting STEM and STEAM education initiatives, How to be a Scientist will inspire kids to ask questions, do activities, think creatively, and discover amazing fun facts! A firm favorite in classrooms and homes alike, this science book for kids has earned itself a permanent spot on many family bookshelves. With more than 40 fun questions, experiments, games, and real-life scenarios that make scientific concepts fun and relevant, it's not hard to see why! Simple activities with undetermined answers encourage curious young readers to find new ways to test ideas. The stories of the great scientists and their discoveries (and failures) are told in an entertaining way to provide even further inspiration for budding young scientists. This educational book has the amazing ability to cover a wide range of ages, so if your children have an age gap this is a fantastic way to get them to engage with each other in a fun and educational way. It is informative, colorful, well written and draws you into its pages with an insatiable appetite for the simpler facts of science. Most of the home science experiments for kids are easy to do with items most people already have around the house, making it super easy to go from idea to execution. Explore, Investigate And Test Your Ideas! Discover the skills it takes to become a scientist. Being a scientist isn't just about wearing a white coat and doing experiments in a lab. It's about exploring, investigating, testing and figuring out how things work. How To Be A Scientist is packed with fun activities and projects that let you answer lots of tricky questions and help to explain the world around you. This kid's educational book challenges children to think for themselves and covers topics like: - Weather, making a tornado, the water cycle, how to make a compass - Energy, hot air balloons, electricity, Newton and Einstein - The solar system, making a sundial, creating your own sunrise, phases of the moon How to be a Scientist (Careers for Kids) is one of four fantastic books in the How to... educational books series, including How To Be A Math Genius, How to Be Good at Math, andHow to Make a Better World. Official reviews include: International Literacy Association's Children's Choices 2018 Reading List "Readers will be inspired to learn more about how to think and act like these famous scientists while uncovering deep scientific knowledge they can apply through fun-filled science projects." Minnesota Parent "This mix of classic and unusual science anecdotes and experiments is just the thing for budding STEM/STEAM fans, including tips for learning how to think and act like a scientist with fun activities and simple scientific explanations of biology, anatomy, physics, astronomy, chemistry and more."
