A Random Walk in Science: An Anthology Compiled by the Late R L Weber (1913-1997)

Hardback prev owners name inside slightly sunned d/j spine A Random Walk in Science an Anthology.Includes Illustrations. Diagrams. Book overview: This anthology provides an insight into the wit and intellect of the scientific mind through a blend of amusing and serious contributions written by and about scientists. The contributions record changing attitudes within science and mirror the interactions of science with society. Editorial Review-Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc. An anthology of articles on the foibles of science--pure and applied--and the follies of scientists, written mostly by themselves (heavy on the physicists). Most of the pieces have been gathered from publications such as the American Journal of Physics, but there are excerpts from Aristophanes, Swift, Goethe and Carroll. Many demonstrate a pungent capacity for self-parody, as in ""The High.More Energy Physics Coloring Book"" or ""The Uses of Fallacy"" (""in reductio ad nauseum the lecturer's aim is to get everyone in the class asleep and not taking notes""). Occasionally, the jokes are lead balloons (""'What is v? ' 'Planck's constant. ' 'And h? ' 'The length of the plank'""), and one sometimes gets the impression that scientists are patting each other on the back for having a sense of humor. A few of the pieces make serious points about the practices of researchers. An engaging ""play of intellectual high spirits, or high intellectual spirits.…