Life in Science
2 total works
The figure of Albert Einstein still towers over the 20th century, although his most important work dates from 1905. The one equation most people know is E=MC2, but most of us could not explain what it means. This book elucidates the special and general theories of relativity, as well as electromagnetism, space-time and other theories. It enables readers to appreciate the great physicist's achievements by laying out the context in which he developed his theories and the way that they were received.
Charles Darwin, a man far ahead of his time, left an extraordinary scientific legacy - as influential to modern thought as Newton or Einstein. Yet, in his lifetime, he faced a barrage of criticism for his "heretical" new theories, both from those closest to him and from the leading scientific and religious thinkers of the day. It was only in death that Darwin was finally recognized as a great scientist by the establishment - and today his writings are regarded as seminal works. This book not only examines the man behind the science - a man plagued with ill health and personal tragedy - but explains the enormous impact of his thinking on topics such as natural selection, evolution and genetics, and brings its readers up to date in terms of how Darwinism has moulded modern scientific thought.