Bynum W. A Little History of Science

Yale: Yale University Press, 2012. — 271 p.Science is fantastic. It tells us about the infinite reaches of space, the tiniest living organism, the human body, the history of Earth. People have always been doing science because they have always wanted to make sense of the world and harness its power. From ancient Greek philosophers through Einstein and Watson and Crick to the computer-assisted scientists of today, men and women have wondered, examined, experimented, calculated, and sometimes made discoveries so earthshaking that people understood the world—or themselves—in an entirely new way.This inviting book tells a great adventure story: the history of science. It takes readers to the stars through the telescope, as the sun replaces the earth at the center of our universe. It delves beneath the surface of the planet, charts the evolution of chemistry's periodic table, introduces the physics that explain electricity, gravity, and the structure of atoms. It recounts the scientific quest that revealed the DNA molecule and opened unimagined new vistas for exploration.Emphasizing surprising and personal stories of scientists both famous and unsung, A Little History of Science traces the march of science through the centuries. The book opens a window on the exciting and unpredictable nature of scientific activity and describes the uproar that may ensue when scientific findings challenge established ideas. With delightful illustrations and a warm, accessible style, this is a volume for young and old to treasure together.In the Beginning
Needles and Numbers
Atoms and the Void
The Father of Medicine
‘The Master of Those Who Know’
The Emperor’s Doctor
Science in Islam
Out of the Darkness
Searching for the Philosopher’s Stone
Uncovering the Human Body
Where is the Centre of the Universe?
Leaning Towers and Telescopes
Round and Round
Knowledge is Power
The ‘New Chemistry’
What Goes Up
Bright Sparks
The Clockwork Universe
Ordering the World
Airs and Gases
Tiny Pieces of Matter
Forces, Fields and Magnetism
Digging Up Dinosaurs
The History of Our Planet
The Greatest Show on Earth
Little Boxes of Life
Coughs, Sneezes and Diseases
Engines and Energy
Tabling the Elements
Into the Atom
Radioactivity
The Game-Changer
Moving Continents
What Do We Inherit?
Where Did We Come From?
Wonder Drugs
Building Blocks
Reading ‘the Book of Life’
The Big Bang
Science in Our Digital Age