Elegance in science : the beauty of simplicity / Ian Glynn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Glynn, Ian.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--Aesthetics.

Science.

Science--History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (290 p.)

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Science is often thought of as a methodical but dull activity. But the finest science, the breakthroughs most admired and respected by scientists themselves, is characterized by elegance." "What does elegance mean in the context of science? Economy is a considerable part of it; creativity too. Sometimes, a suggested solution is so simple and neat that it elicits an exclamation of wonder from the observer. The greatest science, whether primarily theoretical or experimental, reflects a creative imagination." "In this book, the distinguished physiologist and writer Ian Glynn explores some of the finest examples of elegance in science: the delightful simplicity of the laws discovered by Kepler and Newton in the motion of the planets; Galileo's experiments with an inclined plane; the remarkable work of Thomas Young on light; dazzling insights into the counterintuitive workings of our perception demonstrated by Richard Gregory and Vilayanur Ramachandran; and the several breakthroughs that led to Crick and Watson's unravelling of the structure and function of DNA. The result is a fascinating tour through some of the most important episodes in the history of science."--BOOK JACKET.

Contents:

The meaning of elegance

Celestial mechanics : the route to Newton

Bringing the heavens down to earth

So what is heat?

Elegance and electricity

Throwing light on light : with the story of Thomas Young

How do nerves work?

Information handling in the brain

The genetic code

Epilogue : a cautionary tale.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-19-150713-X

0-19-150712-1

1-299-20191-1

OCLC:

830162649