How does a scientist go about solving problems? How do scientific
discoveries happen? Why are cold fusion and parapsychology different
from mainstream science? What is a scientific worldview? In this lively
and wide-ranging book, Gregory Derry talks about these and other
questions as he introduces the reader to the process of scientific
thinking. From the discovery of X rays and semiconductors to the
argument for continental drift to the invention of the smallpox
vaccine, scientific work has proceeded through honest observation,
critical reasoning, and sometimes just plain luck. Derry starts out
with historical examples, leading readers through the events,
experiments, blind alleys, and thoughts of scientists in the midst of
discovery and invention. Readers at all levels will come away with an
enriched appreciation of how science operates and how it connects with
our daily lives.
An especially valuable feature of this book is
the actual demonstration of scientific reasoning. Derry shows how
scientists use a small number of powerful yet simple methods--symmetry,
scaling, linearity, and feedback, for example--to construct realistic
models that describe a number of diverse real-life problems, such as
drug uptake in the body, the inner workings of atoms, and the laws of
heredity.
Science involves a particular way of thinking about the
world, and Derry shows the reader that a scientific viewpoint can
benefit most personal philosophies and fields of study. With an eye to
both the power and limits of science, he explores the relationships
between science and topics such as religion, ethics, and philosophy. By
tackling the subject of science from all angles, including the nuts and
bolts of the trade as well as its place in the overall scheme of life,
the book provides a perfect place to start thinking like a scientist.
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