Victory and vexation in science : Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, and others / Gerald Holton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Holton, Gerald James, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Scientists--History--20th century.

Scientists.

Science--History--20th century.

Science.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (244 pages)

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Massachusetts ; London, England : Harvard University Press, [2005]

Summary:

Never has the power of scientific research to solve existing problems and uncover new ones been more evident than it is today. Yet there exists widespread ignorance about the larger contexts within which scientific research is carried out. For example, the point of view some scientists adopt in their work or in their social commitments may become clearer if considered in light of the opposing views held by other scientists. This is a theme Gerald Holton addresses in his new collection. Whether considering conflicts between Heisenberg and Einstein, Bohr and Einstein, or P. W. Bridgman and B. F. Skinner; tracing I. I. Rabi's shift of attention from superb science to education and scientific statesmanship; or examining the emergence, in the last few decades, of the need to connect scientific research to societal needs--in each case, Holton demonstrates a masterly understanding of modern science and how it influences our world. The author shows why, at any given time--even in the mature phase of science--there exists no single "paradigm," but rather a spectrum of competing perspectives; and why so much good science has been based, from antiquity to today, on a relatively small number of presuppositions.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Part I. Scientists

1. Einstein’s Third Paradise

2. The Woman in Einstein’s Shadow, and a First Glimpse of Einstein’s Mind at Work

3. Werner Heisenberg and Albert Einstein

4. Bohr, Heisenberg, and What Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen Tries to Tell Us

5. Enrico Fermi and the Miracle of the Two Tables

6. B. F. Skinner, P. W. Bridgman, and the “Lost Years”

7. I. I. Rabi as Educator and Science Warrior

Part II. Science in Context

8. Paul Tillich, Albert Einstein, and the Quest for the Ultimate

9. Henri Poincaré,Marcel Duchamp, and Innovation in Science and Art

10. Perspectives on the Thematic Analysis of Scientific Thought

11. The Imperative for Basic Science That Serves National Needs

12. The Rise of Postmodernisms and the “End of Science”

13. Different Perceptions of “Good Science,” and Their Effects on Careers of Women Scientists

14. “Only Connect”: Bridging the Institutionalized Gaps between the Humanities and Sciences in Teaching

Acknowledgments

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Holton, Gerald Victory and Vexation in Science

ISBN:

9780674273887

0674273885

OCLC:

1286429095