Landmarks in Western Science - Couverture souple

Whitfield, Peter

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0712348417 ISBN 13 : 9780712348416

Editeur : The British Library Publishing Division, 2004

Synopsis

Our understanding of nature as a succession of forms is the starting point for this wide-ranging survey. It describes the long and complex process of discovery that lies behind that achievement, from the earliest times to the 20th century.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

Science's greatest moments are celebrated and examined in this wide-ranging and colorful survey that highlights significant discoveries and turning points in mathematics, astronomy, physics, medicine, geology, and many other fields. From man's earliest use of tools and his first recording of scientific phenomena to the latest achievements in the fields of biological engineering, the evolution of scientific thought is revealed as a series of revolutionary changes, rather than as the result of a steady accumulation of knowledge. Examining important advances by such luminaries as Copernicus, Vesalius, Newton, Darwin, Freud and others, historian Peter Whitfield discusses their context and impact and charts their progress from heresy to orthodoxy. Along the way he poses fundamental questions about scientific belief: Where does its authority spring from? In what sense does science claim to be true, while other products of the human mind, religion, art, or philosophy, are considered merely subjective? And, for all the progress that has been made, are we any nearer to ultimate truth than the Renaissance alchemist? Richly illustrated and eminently readable, this fascinating account helps us better understand how scientific ideas have been circulated and received at different periods in history as it reveals the sequence of faltering steps mankind has taken in an effort to better understand the world around us.

Biographie de l'auteur

Peter Whitfield has written widely on the history of maps, including The Image of the World: 20 Centuries of World Maps (1994) and New Found Lands: Maps in the History of Exploration(Routledge 1998) He is a former director of Stanford's International Map Centre in London, and now runs his own company publishing facsimiles of historical maps.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: The British Library Publishing Division
• Date d'édition: 2004
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0712348417
• ISBN 13: 9780712348416
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 256
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible