Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation - Hardcover

by Robert E. Adler (Author)

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.

Front Jacket

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.

Back Jacket

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 group-scientists 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 ventured into previously unseen territory to satisfy their hunger for knowledge and, in doing so, changed the course of history.

Author Biography

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.