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The Scientific Revolution (SparkNotes History Notes)
by SparkNotesThe Scientific Revolution (1550-1700) (SparkNotes History Note) Making the reading experience fun! SparkNotes History Guides help students strengthen their grasp of history by focusing on individual eras or episodes in U.S. or world history. Breaking history up into digestible lessons, the History Guides make it easier for students to see how events, figures, movements, and trends interrelate. SparkNotes History Guides are perfect for high school and college history classes, for students studying for History AP Test or SAT Subject Tests, and simply as general reference tools.Each note contains a general overview of historical context, a concise summary of events, lists of key people and terms, in-depth summary and analysis with timelines, study questions and suggested essay topics, and a 50-question review quiz.
The Scientific Revolution (science.culture)
by Steven Shapin“There was no such thing as the Scientific Revolution, and this is a book about it.” With this provocative and apparently paradoxical claim, Steven Shapin begins his bold, vibrant exploration of the origins of the modern scientific worldview, now updated with a new bibliographic essay featuring the latest scholarship. “An excellent book.”—Anthony Gottlieb, New York Times Book Review “Timely and highly readable. . . . A book which every scientist curious about our predecessors should read.”—Trevor Pinch, New Scientist “Shapin's account is informed, nuanced, and articulated with clarity. . . . This is not to attack or devalue science but to reveal its richness as the human endeavor that it most surely is. . . . Shapin's book is an impressive achievement.”—David C. Lindberg, Science “It's hard to believe that there could be a more accessible, informed or concise account. . . . The Scientific Revolution should be a set text in all the disciplines. And in all the indisciplines, too.”—Adam Phillips, London Review of Books
The Scientific Revolution: A Brief History with Documents (The Bedford series in History and Culture)
by Margaret JacobThe Scientific Revolution highlights the difficulty of engaging, discarding, or assimilating religious paradigms in the course of scientific development. Jacob's introduction outlines the trajectory of the Scientific Revolution and argues that the revival of ancient texts in the Renaissance and the upheaval of the Protestant Reformation paved the way for science.
The Scientific Sherlock Holmes: Cracking the Case With Science and Forensics
by James O'BrienOne of the most popular and widely known characters in all of fiction, Sherlock Holmes has an enduring appeal based largely on his uncanny ability to make the most remarkable deductions from the most mundane facts. The very first words that Sherlock Holmes ever says to Dr. Watson are, "How are you? You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive. " Watson responds, "How on earth did you know that?" And so a crime-solving legend is born. In The Scientific Sherlock Holmes, James O'Brien provides an in-depth look at Holmes's use of science in his investigations. Indeed, one reason for Holmes's appeal is his frequent use of the scientific method and the vast scientific knowledge which he drew upon to solve mysteries. For instance, in heart of the book, the author reveals that Holmes was a pioneer of forensic science, making use of fingerprinting well before Scotland Yard itself had adopted the method. One of the more appealing aspects of the book is how the author includes real-world background on topics such as handwriting analysis, describing how it was used to capture the New York Zodiac killer and to clinch the case against the Lindbergh baby kidnapper. Sherlock Holmes was knowledgeable about several sciences, most notably chemistry. Therefore the book takes a close look at Holmes the chemist and discusses, for example, chemical poisons such as carbon monoxide, chloroform, and Prussic acid (the historical name for hydrogen cyanide). The author also debunks Isaac Asimov's famous assertion that Holmes was a blundering chemist. In addition, the book discusses mathematics, physics, biology, astronomy, meteorology, and geology, always in the context of Holmes's exploits. Sherlock Holmes continues to fascinate millions of readers and movie goers alike. The Scientific Sherlock Holmes is a must-read for the legion of fans of this most beloved of all fictional detectives.
The Scientific Spirit of American Humanism (Medicine, Science, and Religion in Historical Context)
by Stephen P. WeldonThe story of how prominent liberal intellectuals reshaped American religious and secular institutions to promote a more democratic, science-centered society.Recent polls show that a quarter of Americans claim to have no religious affiliation, identifying instead as atheists, agnostics, or "nothing in particular." A century ago, a small group of American intellectuals who dubbed themselves humanists tread this same path, turning to science as a major source of spiritual sustenance. In The Scientific Spirit of American Humanism, Stephen P. Weldon tells the fascinating story of this group as it developed over the twentieth century, following the fortunes of a few generations of radical ministers, academic philosophers, and prominent scientists who sought to replace traditional religion with a modern, liberal, scientific outlook. Weldon explores humanism through the networks of friendships and institutional relationships that underlay it, from philosophers preaching in synagogues and ministers editing articles of Nobel laureates to magicians invoking the scientific method. Examining the development of an increasingly antagonistic engagement between religious conservatives and the secular culture of the academy, Weldon explains how this conflict has shaped the discussion of science and religion in American culture. He also uncovers a less known—but equally influential—story about the conflict within humanism itself between two very different visions of science: an aspirational, democratic outlook held by the followers of John Dewey on the one hand, and a skeptical, combative view influenced by logical positivism on the other. Putting America's distinctive science talk into historical perspective, Weldon shows how events such as the Pugwash movement for nuclear disarmament, the ongoing evolution controversies, the debunking of pseudo-science, and the selection of scientists and popularizers like Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov as humanist figureheads all fit a distinctly American ethos. Weldon maintains that this secular ethos gained much of its influence by tapping into the idealism found in the American radical religious tradition that includes the deism of Thomas Paine, nineteenth-century rationalism and free thought, Protestant modernism, and most important, Unitarianism. Drawing on archival research, interviews, and a thorough study of the main humanist publications, The Scientific Spirit of American Humanism reveals a new level of detail about the personal and institutional forces that have shaped major trends in American secular culture. Significantly, the book shows why special attention to American liberal religiosity remains critical to a clear understanding of the scientific spirit in American culture.
The Scientific Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth
by John R. HelliwellThere is a limited understanding amongst scientists, students, and the public about realizing trust in scientific findings. This should be a paramount objective. Scientists and the public need to know more about the link between the philosophy of science and science research methods. There is a limited understanding of why accuracy is important and that it is not the same as precision. Also, there is often the need to be pragmatic and so measure an approximation of a real system, and the classic case is reductionism in biology versus whole organism biology. The author brings these topics together in terms of trusting in science.Features Covers how scientific truth is perceived and increases the preparedness of early career scientists. Examines the relatively new field of machine learning and artificial intelligence as applied to crystallography databases in biology and chemistry for new discoveries. Describes the major changes in digital data archiving and how vast “raw data” archives are being increasingly developed for machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as complete truth. This unique volume will be of interest to pre-university and university undergraduate students, principally in science. Presents scientific research examples from physics, chemistry, and biology together with their methodologies.
The Scientific World of Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer: The Entanglement Of Science, Religion, And Politics In Nazi Germany (Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology)
by Kathleen L. HousleyIn twentieth-century Germany, Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer rose to prominence as a brilliant physical chemist, even as several of his relatives—Dietrich Bonhoeffer among them—became involved in the resistance to Hitler, leading to their executions. This book traces the entanglement of science, religion, and politics in the Third Reich and in the lives of Karl-Friedrich, his family and his colleagues, including Fritz Haber and Werner Heisenberg. Nominated for the Nobel Prize, Karl-Friedrich was an expert on heavy water, a component of the atomic bomb. During the war, he was caught in the middle between relatives who were trying to kill Hitler and friends who were helping Hitler build a nuclear weapon. Karl-Friedrich emerges as a complex figure—an agnostic whose brother was a renowned theologian, and a chemist who both reluctantly advised German nuclear scientists and collaborated with Paul Rosbaud, a spy for the British. Illuminating the uneasy position of science in twentieth-century Germany, The Scientific World of Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer is the story of a man in love with chemistry, his family, and his nation, trying to do right by all of them in the midst of chaos.
The Scientist and the Psychic: A Son's Exploration of His Mother's Gift
by Christian SmithWeaving together the story of his fractured relationship to his mother with research into her paranormal abilities, Dr. Christian Smith has created, in The Scientist and the Psychic, a captivating, one-of-a-kind memoir of belief, skepticism and familial love.Christian Smith realized his mother was different in the autumn of 1977 when he was eight years old. Before then, he'd witnessed séances at home and the kids at school sometimes teased him about his mom being a witch--so he sensed that his life wasn't typical. But it wasn't until he was backstage at a renowned concert venue in Toronto, watching from behind a curtain as Geraldine commanded an audience of 2,000 with her extrasensory readings, that he understood she was special. As Geraldine's only child, he would assume the role of the quiet observer while she guided a live CBC broadcast of a séance; made startling and consistently accurate predictions; and eventually moved to LA to work with the parents of murder victims--and with convicted murderer Jeffrey R. MacDonald. Over time, the high profile and emotionally depleting work affected Geraldine's health and relationships. Addiction took over her life, and her son pulled away. Fast forward to the present day: Christian is a molecular biologist and Geraldine is retired and in poor health. They are closer than they've ever been, and now he gives us the story of her undeniable perceptual abilities and pioneering work as a psychic--and endeavours to make scientific sense of it.
The Scientist as Rebel
by Freeman J. DysonFrom Galileo to today's amateur astronomers, scientists have been rebels, writes Freeman J. Dyson. Like artists and poets, they are free spirits who resist the restrictions their cultures impose on them. In their pursuit of nature's truths, they are guided as much by imagination as by reason, and their greatest theories have the uniqueness and beauty of great works of art.Dyson argues that the best way to understand science is by understanding those who practice it. He tells stories of scientists at work, ranging from Isaac Newton's absorption in physics, alchemy, theology, and politics, to Ernest Rutherford's discovery of the structure of the atom, to Albert Einstein's stubborn hostility to the idea of black holes. His descriptions of brilliant physicists like Edward Teller and Richard Feynman are enlivened by his own reminiscences of them. He looks with a skeptical eye at fashionable scientific fads and fantasies, and speculates on the future of climate prediction, genetic engineering, the colonization of space, and the possibility that paranormal phenomena may exist yet not be scientifically verifiable. Dyson also looks beyond particular scientific questions to reflect on broader philosophical issues, such as the limits of reductionism, the morality of strategic bombing and nuclear weapons, the preservation of the environment, and the relationship between science and religion. These essays, by a distinguished physicist who is also a prolific writer, offer informed insights into the history of science and fresh perspectives on contentious current debates about science, ethics, and faith.
The Scientist or Engineer as an Expert Witness (Chemical Industries)
by James G SpeightThe increased technical nature of litigation coupled with an increase in the number of cases have given rise to the need for a book specifically written for scientists and engineers called to testify as expert witnesses. Unique in its approach, The Scientist or Engineer as an Expert Witness assists these experts in clearly conveying the often compl
The Scientist's Guide to Writing: How to Write More Easily and Effectively throughout Your Scientific Career
by Stephen B. HeardThe ability to write clearly is critical to any scientific career. The Scientist's Guide to Writing provides practical advice to help scientists become more effective writers so that their ideas have the greatest possible impact.Drawing on his own experience as a scientist, graduate adviser, and editor, Stephen Heard emphasizes that the goal of all scientific writing should be absolute clarity; that good writing takes deliberate practice; and that what many scientists need are not long lists of prescriptive rules but rather direct engagement with their behaviors and attitudes when they write. He combines advice on such topics as how to generate and maintain writing momentum with practical tips on structuring a scientific paper, revising a first draft, handling citations, responding to peer reviews, managing coauthorships, and more.In an accessible, informal tone, The Scientist's Guide to Writing explains essential techniques that students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scientists need to write more clearly, efficiently, and easily.Emphasizes writing as a process, not just a productEncourages habits that improve motivation and productivityExplains the structure of the scientific paper and the function of each partProvides detailed guidance on submission, review, revision, and publicationAddresses issues related to coauthorship, English as a second language, and more
The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors
by John GribbinA wonderfully readable account of scientific development over the past five hundred years, focusing on the lives and achievements of individual scientists, by the bestselling author of In Search of Schrödinger's Cat. In this ambitious new book, John Gribbin tells the stories of the people who have made science, and of the times in which they lived and worked. He begins with Copernicus, during the Renaissance, when science replaced mysticism as a means of explaining the workings of the world, and he continues through the centuries, creating an unbroken genealogy of not only the greatest but also the more obscure names of Western science, a dot-to-dot line linking amateur to genius, and accidental discovery to brilliant deduction. By focusing on the scientists themselves, Gribbin has written an anecdotal narrative enlivened with stories of personal drama, success and failure. A bestselling science writer with an international reputation, Gribbin is among the few authors who could even attempt a work of this magnitude. Praised as "a sequence of witty, information-packed tales" and "a terrific read" by The Times upon its recent British publication, The Scientists breathes new life into such venerable icons as Galileo, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Linus Pauling, as well as lesser lights whose stories have been undeservedly neglected. Filled with pioneers, visionaries, eccentrics and madmen, this is the history of science as it has never been told before.
The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors (Britannica Guides)
by John GribbinA wonderfully readable account of scientific development over the past five hundred years, focusing on the lives and achievements of individual scientists, by the bestselling author of In Search of Schrödinger’s CatIn this ambitious new book, John Gribbin tells the stories of the people who have made science, and of the times in which they lived and worked. He begins with Copernicus, during the Renaissance, when science replaced mysticism as a means of explaining the workings of the world, and he continues through the centuries, creating an unbroken genealogy of not only the greatest but also the more obscure names of Western science, a dot-to-dot line linking amateur to genius, and accidental discovery to brilliant deduction.By focusing on the scientists themselves, Gribbin has written an anecdotal narrative enlivened with stories of personal drama, success and failure. A bestselling science writer with an international reputation, Gribbin is among the few authors who could even attempt a work of this magnitude. Praised as “a sequence of witty, information-packed tales” and “a terrific read” by The Times upon its recent British publication, The Scientists breathes new life into such venerable icons as Galileo, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Linus Pauling, as well as lesser lights whose stories have been undeservedly neglected. Filled with pioneers, visionaries, eccentrics and madmen, this is the history of science as it has never been told before.
The Scientists: An Epic Of Discovery
by Andrew RobinsonAn intriguing and illuminating read for science buffs, those fascinated by the lives and minds of great men and women, and anyone curious about how we came to understand the physical world The ideas, experiments, and inventions of great scientists have revolutionized our understanding of the world around us. Theories, discoveries, and technologies—from relativity, the genetic code, and the periodic table to synthetic drugs, nuclear weapons, and brain scans—have transformed the physical world and our lives. Copernicus, Crick, Watson, Galileo, Marie Curie: these are some of the forty pioneers behind modern science whose stories are explored here. The scientists come from around the globe and represent multiple nationalities—American, English, German, French, Dutch, Czech, Indian, Japanese, and more. Often unorthodox thinkers, they frequently had to struggle against hostile contemporaries to gain recognition for their ideas and discoveries. All the major scientific disciplines are covered, including astronomy, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computing, ecology, geology, medicine, neurology, physics, and psychology, as well as mathematics.
The Scientist’s Guide to Writing, 2nd Edition: How to Write More Easily and Effectively throughout Your Scientific Career
by Stephen B. HeardAn updated and expanded edition of the acclaimed writing guide for scientistsThe Scientist’s Guide to Writing explains the essential techniques that students, postdocs, and early-career scientists need to write more clearly, efficiently, and easily. Now fully updated and expanded, this incisive primer offers practical advice on such topics as generating and maintaining writing momentum, structuring a scientific paper, revising a first draft, handling citations, responding to peer reviews, managing coauthorships, and more. The ability to write clearly is critical to any scientific career. The Scientist’s Guide to Writing shows scientists how to become better writers so that their ideas have the greatest possible impact.New chapters discuss effective reading, choosing the right journal for your research, and the advantages and disadvantages of posting preprintsProvides additional advice on reporting statistical results, dealing with conflicting peer reviews, managing coauthorships, writing with English as an additional language, and moreEmphasizes writing as a process, not just a productEncourages habits that improve motivation and productivityOffers detailed guidance on submission, review, revision, and publicationIncludes a wealth of new exercises
The Scopes Monkey Trial (Images of America)
by Tom Davis Randy Moore William MccomasThe 1925 case against high school coach and science teacher John Scopes, arrested for teaching evolution in defiance of a Tennessee state law, was America's original "Trial of the Century." The proceedings began as a publicity stunt but grew into a landmark event in the nation's history. The trial featured three-time presidential candidate and fundamentalist leader William Jennings Bryan, who argued on behalf of the prosecution, and famed agnostic attorney Clarence Darrow, who helped defend Scopes. Although the Scopes case produced no legal precedent, the trial has been analyzed by historians, praised and vilified by politicians and preachers, cited in countless legal, political, and theological skirmishes, and retold in plays, movies, museum exhibits, and television documentaries. Images of America: The Scopes Monkey Trial examines the events that captured the attention of the world and still have much to teach us today.
The Scopes Monkey Trial (Monumental Milestones: Great Events of Modern Times)
by Jim WhitingOne of the most famous trials in U.S. history took place in a tiny town in Tennessee in 1925. Dayton was the site of what became known as the Scopes Monkey Trial. The defendant, John T. Scopes, was accused of violating a recently passed state law. This law made it illegal to teach the theory of evolution. Under most circumstances, few people would have paid any attention. Several of Dayton's leading citizens saw a chance to put their town on the map. They were successful. Two of the country's most famous people-William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow-soon became involved. Dozens of reporters poured into Dayton from all over the country. It was the first trial to receive live media coverage. Scopes was found guilty. He had to pay a small fine. But the issues about evolution that the trial raised are still debated today.
The Scopes Trial (Cornerstones of Freedom, 2nd Series)
by Renee GravesA description of the historic 1925 trial in which a Tennessee high school biology teacher was accused of violating state law by teaching Darwin's theory of evolution.
The Scopes Trial: A Brief History With Documents (The Bedford Series In History And Culture)
by Jeffrey P. MoranThe Scopes trial shocked America. Tennessee schoolteacher John Scopes brought the question of teaching evolution in schools to every dinner table, and it remains an essential topic in any course on American History, the History of Education, and Religious History. This volume’s lively interpretative introduction provides an analysis of the trial and its impact on the moral fiber of the country and the educational system, and examines the race and gender issues that shook out of the debate. The editor has excerpted the crucial exchanges from the trial transcript itself, and includes these along with reactions to the trial, taken from newspaper reports, letters, and magazine articles. Telling political cartoons and evocative photographs add a colorful dimension to this collection, while a chronology of events, questions for consideration, and a bibliography provide strong pedagogical support.
The Score
by Faye FlamA smart, witty, and fresh look at the male side of the male-female relationship from a science writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer.In The Score, Faye Flam examines how the desire to "score" has profoundly shaped males over millions of years. Sweeping from the origin of the sexes to the sexual foibles of twenty-first-century humans, Flam, a science writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer, shows how a small difference in the size of the first sperm and eggs resulted in an evolutionary tradeoff that has affected both males and females. Because males of most species invest less in reproduction than females, they have to invest more up front to get sex-whether by jumping through hoops to prove that they'll be a good father, fighting to near death with rivals, or paying a couple thousand dollars for a class on how to pick up chicks à la the pickup artists in Neil Strauss's The Game. Within this tug-of-war context, Flam explores a wide range of male behaviors and courtship strategies and ultimately reveals that males have been shaped by competing for the preferences of the female sex. But after all this sex-propelled evolution, we're still stuck in a troublesome suspension between monogamy and promiscuity-and it's this tension that explains the contradictions of the modern man.
The Score: The Science of the Male Sex Drive
by Faye FlamA smart, witty, and fresh look at the male side of the male-female relationship from a science writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer.In The Score, Faye Flam examines how the desire to "score" has profoundly shaped males over millions of years. Sweeping from the origin of the sexes to the sexual foibles of twenty-first-century humans, Flam, a science writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer, shows how a small difference in the size of the first sperm and eggs resulted in an evolutionary tradeoff that has affected both males and females. Because males of most species invest less in reproduction than females, they have to invest more up front to get sex-whether by jumping through hoops to prove that they'll be a good father, fighting to near death with rivals, or paying a couple thousand dollars for a class on how to pick up chicks à la the pickup artists in Neil Strauss's The Game. Within this tug-of-war context, Flam explores a wide range of male behaviors and courtship strategies and ultimately reveals that males have been shaped by competing for the preferences of the female sex. But after all this sex-propelled evolution, we're still stuck in a troublesome suspension between monogamy and promiscuity-and it's this tension that explains the contradictions of the modern man.
The Scots: A Genetic Journey
by Alistair MoffatThis unique &“fusion of science and the physical history&” traces the story of the Scots through their DNA (Sunday Herald). An almost limitless archive of our history lies hidden inside our bodies, and this book traces the ancient story of Scotland from that scientific viewpoint. The mushrooming of genetic studies, of DNA analysis, is rewriting history in spectacular fashion. In Scotland: A Genetic Journey, Alistair Moffat explores the history that is printed on our genes, and in a remarkable new approach, uncovers the detail of where Scots are from, where they have journeyed, and who they are—and in so doing, vividly colors in a DNA map of Scotland. &“[Moffat] is wonderfully able to communicate the epic elements of the story.&” —Scotsman
The Scramble for the Amazon and the Lost Paradise of Euclides da Cunha
by Susanna B. HechtA “compelling and elegantly written” history of the fight for the Amazon basin and the work of a brilliant but overlooked Brazilian intellectual (Times Literary Supplement, UK).The fortunes of the late nineteenth century’s imperial powers depended on a single raw material—rubber—with only one source: the Amazon basin. This scenario ignited a decades-long conflict that found Britain, France, Belgium, and the United States fighting with and against the new nations of Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil for the forest’s riches. In the midst of this struggle, the Brazilian author and geographer Euclides da Cunha led a survey expedition to the farthest reaches of the river. The Scramble for the Amazon tells the story of da Cunha’s terrifying journey, the unfinished novel born from it, and the global strife that formed the backdrop for both. Haunted by his broken marriage, da Cunha trekked through a beautiful region thrown into chaos by guerrilla warfare, starving migrants, and native slavery. All the while, he worked on his masterpiece, a nationalist synthesis of geography, philosophy, biology, and journalism entitled Lost Paradise. Hoping to unveil the Amazon’s explorers, spies, natives, and brutal geopolitics, Da Cunha was killed by his wife’s lover before he could complete his epic work. once the biography of Da Cunha, a translation of his unfinished work, and a chronicle of the social, political, and environmental history of the Amazon, The Scramble for the Amazon is a work of thrilling intellectual ambition.