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From Darwin to Einstein - Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists That Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe
Simon & Schuster
May 2013
On Sale: May 14, 2013
354 pages ISBN: 1439192367 EAN: 9781439192368 Kindle: B008J4B40Y Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction Biography | Non-Fiction History
WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. Nobody’s perfect. Not even some
of the greatest geniuses in history, as Mario Livio tells us
in this marvelous story of scientific error and
breakthrough. Charles Darwin, William Thomson (Lord
Kelvin), Linus Pauling, Fred Hoyle, and Albert Einstein were
all brilliant scientists. Each made groundbreaking
contributions to his field—but each also stumbled badly.
Darwin’s theory of natural selection shouldn’t have worked,
according to the prevailing beliefs of his time. Not until
Gregor Mendel’s work was known would there be a mechanism to
explain natural selection. How could Darwin be both wrong
and right? Lord Kelvin, Britain’s leading scientific
intellect at the time, gravely miscalculated the age of the
earth. Linus Pauling, the world’s premier chemist (who would
win the Nobel Prize in chemistry) constructed an erroneous
model for DNA in his haste to beat the competition to
publication. Astrophysicist Fred Hoyle dismissed the idea of
a “Big Bang” origin to the universe (ironically, the caustic
name he gave to this event endured long after his erroneous
objections were disproven). And Albert Einstein, whose name
is synonymous with genius, speculated incorrectly about the
forces that hold the universe in equilibrium—and that
speculation opened the door to brilliant conceptual leaps.
These five scientists expanded our knowledge of life on
earth, the evolution of the earth itself, and the evolution
of the universe, despite and because of their errors. As
Mario Livio luminously explains, the scientific process
advances through error. Mistakes are essential to progress.
Brilliant Blunders is a singular tour
through the world of science and scientific achievement—and
a wonderfully insightful examination of the psychology of
five fascinating scientists.
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