Elegance in science
Subtitle: the beauty of simplicity
By: Ian Glynn
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Oxford; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 271
ISBN-13: 9780199578627
Subjects: Naturwissenschaften; Esthetics; Aesthetics; Forschung; Science; History; Eleganz
Description: "Science is often thought of as a methodical but dull activity. But the finest science, the breakthroughs most admired and respected by scientists themselves, is characterized by elegance." "What does elegance mean in the context of science? Economy is a considerable part of it; creativity too. Sometimes, a suggested solution is so simple and neat that it elicits an exclamation of wonder from the observer. The greatest science, whether primarily theoretical or experimental, reflects a creative imagination." "In this book, the distinguished physiologist and writer Ian Glynn explores some of the finest examples of elegance in science: the delightful simplicity of the laws discovered by Kepler and Newton in the motion of the planets; Galileo's experiments with an inclined plane; the remarkable work of Thomas Young on light; dazzling insights into the counterintuitive workings of our perception demonstrated by Richard Gregory and Vilayanur Ramachandran; and the several breakthroughs that led to Crick and Watson's unravelling of the structure and function of DNA. The result is a fascinating tour through some of the most important episodes in the history of science."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 245-262) and index.
Table of contents: title: The meaning of elegance; title: Celestial mechanics : the route to Newton; title: Bringing the heavens down to earth; title: So what is heat?; title: Elegance and electricity; title: Throwing light on light : with the story of Thomas Young; title: How do nerves work?; title: Information handling in the brain; title: The genetic code; title: Epilogue : a cautionary tale.