The Discoveries: Great Breakthroughs in 20th-Century Science, Including the Original Papers

Lightman, Alan

ISBN 10: 0676977898 / ISBN 13: 9780676977899

Published by Knopf Canada, 2005

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Discoveries: Great Breakthroughs in 20th-Century Science, Including the Original Papers
• Publisher: Knopf Canada
• Publication Date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0676977898
• ISBN 13: 9780676977899
• Binding: hardcover
• Condition: New
• Book Type: book

About this title

Synopsis

An extraordinarily accessible, illuminating chronicle of the great moments of scientific discovery in the 20th century, and an exploration into the minds of the remarkable men and women behind them.

We know and read the literary masterpieces; how many of us have had the opportunity not only to read but understand the masterpieces of science that describe the very moment of discovery? The last century has seen an explosion of creativity and insight that led to breakthroughs in every field of science: from the theory of relativity to the first quantum model of the atom to the mapping of the structure of DNA, these discoveries profoundly changed how we understand the world and our place in it.

Alan Lightman tells the stories of two dozen breakthroughs made by such brilliant scientists as Einstein, Bohr, McClintock and Pauling, among others, drawing on his unique background as a scientist and novelist to reveal the process of scientific discovery at its greatest. He outlines the intellectual and emotional landscape of each discovery, portrays the personalities and human drama of the scientists involved, and explains the significance and impact of the work. Finally, he gives an unprecedented and exhilarating guided tour through each of the original papers.

About the Author

Alan Lightman is the author of the novels Einstein’s Dreams, The Diagnosis, Good Benito and Reunion; the essay collections Dance for Two and A Sense of the Mysterious; and several books on science. He lives in Massachusetts, where he is adjunct professor of humanities at MIT.