What are we to make of the attempt by recent science and scientists to find a Theory of Everything? Are there some things science just can't explain? Brian Ridley, a physicist, investigates these questions and others in this compelling exploration of both the scope and limits of science.
Going back to the roots of scientific thinking in a world of magical ideas, Ridley argues that science shares more with magic than we are often led to believe. He also revisits Pythagoras's theory that the world should be understood through numbers, and explores the often overlooked relationship between science and mathematics. This is neatly linked to a fascinating discussion of relativity and quantum theory, reminding us of the many perspectives on offer within science. On Science closes with an important look at the often utopian scientific ideals of future societies, and returns to the problematic relation between science and sensibility that filled the Two Cultures controversies of the 1960s.
On Science is essential reading for all those interested in the way we think about and picture science, where it is now, and where it is going.
Editorial Reviews
"Thought-provoking and well-written...an excellent introduction to a number of important questions residing at that interface where philosophy borders on science, and science becomes philosophical.' —John Casti, Nature
"The great value of this book is that it goes much further and deeper than a mere statement of principle." —Jean-Marc Ley-Leblond, Physics World
"Reminding us of the historical and intellectual origins of scientific thought, Ridley (physics, University of Essex) considers the scope and limits of science, relating science to magic, mathematics, and art. He also explores the diversity of opinion within the scientific community. Closing the book, Ridley ponders the utopian optimism of a scientific society, and the real social implications of a scientific sensibility." --Book News
About the Author
Brian Ridley is Professor of Physics at the University of Essex. He is best known for his work on semiconductor physics and for his best-selling book Time, Space and Things.
