Science secrets : the truth about Darwin's finches, Einstein's wife, and other myths / Alberto A. Martínez.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Martínez, Alberto A., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--History--Miscellanea.

Science.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (345 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania : University of Pittsburgh Press, [2011]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Was Darwin really inspired by Galapagos finches? Did Einstein's wife secretly contribute to his theories? Did Franklin fly a kite in a thunderstorm? Did a falling apple lead Newton to universal gravity? Did Galileo drop objects from the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Did Einstein really believe in God? Science Secrets answers these questions and many others. It is a unique study of how myths evolve in the history of science. Some tales are partly true, others are mostly false, yet all illuminate the tension between the need to fairly describe the past and the natural desire to fill in the blanks. Energetically narrated, Science Secrets pits famous myths against extensive research from primary sources in order to accurately portray important episodes in the sciences. Alberto A. Martinez analyzes how such myths grow and rescues neglected facts that are more captivating than famous fictions. Moreover, he shows why opinions that were once secret and seemingly impossible are now scientifically compelling. The book includes new findings related to the Copernican revolution, alchemy, Pythagoras, young Einstein, and other events and figures in the history of science"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

List of Myths and Apparent Myths

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. Galileo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa

2. Galileo's Pythagorean Heresy

3. Newton's Apple and the Tree of Knowledge

4. The Stone of the Ancients

5. Darwin's Missing Frogs

6. Ben Franklin's Electric Kite

7. Coulomb's Impossible Experiment?

8. Thomson, Plum-Pudding, and Electrons

9. Did Einstein Believe in God?

10. A Myth about the Speed of Light

11. The Cult of the Quiet Wife

12. Einstein and the Clock Towers of Bern

13. The Secret of Einstein's Creativity?

14. Eugenics and the Myth of Equality

Epilogue

Notes

Illustration Sources and Credits

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781322025308

1322025304

9780822980179

0822980177

OCLC:

887803456