Serendipity: Accidental Discoveries in Science (Wiley Science Editions) - Hardcover

Roberts, Royston M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471506583 ISBN 13: 9780471506584

Publisher: Wiley, 1989

Synopsis

Many of the things discovered by accident are important in our everyday lives: Teflon, Velcro, nylon, x-rays, penicillin, safety glass, sugar substitutes, and polyethylene and other plastics. And we owe a debt to accident for some of our deepest scientific knowledge, including Newton's theory of gravitation, the Big Bang theory of Creation, and the discovery of DNA. Even the Rosetta Stone, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the ruins of Pompeii came to light through chance. This book tells the fascinating stories of these and other discoveries and reveals how the inquisitive human mind turns accident into discovery. Written for the layman, yet scientifically accurate, this illuminating collection of anecdotes portrays invention and discovery as quintessentially human acts, due in part to curiosity, perserverance, and luck.

About this title

From Library Journal:

This book is a collection of anecdotal "re caps" of the accidental discoveries that led to revolutionary scientific develop ment, including Edward Jenner's creation of the smallpox vaccine and Newton's gravity theory. Roberts tells us that Jen ner made the fortuitous connection be tween cowpox and smallpox by investi gating the claim of a milkmaid who avoided smallpox illness in the barnyard. Likewise, a shrewd Newton developed gravitational theory while observing the fall of the fa mous apple. It's clear that Roberts (chemis try, Univ. of Texas) feels most engaged and comfortable in the fields of chemistry and biology, for these sections are the largest and the most informative and concisely written. Elsewhere, the book suffers from a choppy and dry presentation. Recom mended for larger subject collections only.
-Lauren Bielski, New York
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0471506583
• ISBN 13: 9780471506584
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 270