Einstein's Luck: The Truth behind Some of the Greatest Scientific Discoveries

by John Waller

As John Waller shows in Einstein's Luck , many of our greatest scientists were less than honest about their experimental data. Some were not above using friends in high places to help get their ideas accepted. And some owe their immortality not to any unique discovery but to a combination of
astonishing effrontery and their skills as self-promoters.
Here is a catalog of myths debunked and icons shattered. We discover that Louis Pasteur was not above suppressing "awkward" data when it didn't support the case he was making. We also learn that Arthur Eddington's famous experiment that "proved" Einstein's theory of relativity was fudged And
while it is true that Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by lucky accident, he played almost no role in the years of effort to convert penicillin into a usable drug. Einstein's Luck restores to science its complex personalities, bitter rivalries, and intense human dramas which until recently
have been hidden behind myths and misconceptions. This richly entertaining book will transform the way we think about science and scientists.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2004

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Associate Professor of the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan
Field: 18th century, 19th Century, Science/Medicine, Social
Region: Europe & Russia, United States

Reviews

[Yofish · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half of the book discusses some false reporting of experiments purported to support famous new scientific theories; and how these are famous only because the theories turned out correct. Second half about how the history of science has (at times) been mis-reported to make some scientists more seem like they deserve more of the credit than they really do. Lots of interesting stories. Sometimes stretches the definition of "science." But the writing is incredibly academic-paper-ish, and boring to follow. He also seems a little too in love with his own ideas, and stretches some points to try to make himself look moreright about more things.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It really went into how the big names in Science became classroom classics. Some of them maybe should not be credited for what we know them for. I know that nothing in science is discovered by a single person but thats what were taught in school. This book throws that out the window and digs into the real stories behind scientific finds that changed our world. It as very interesting and I can see how some people could get bored with it. Be prepared to start out slow, it will be well worth you time to read it.

[Sagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://thesnarkingofthehunt.wordpress...

[Aleh Piatrou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Очень полезно для развития иммунитета к авторитетам.