Science in the Looking Glass: What Do Scientists Really Know?

by E. Brian Davies

In this wide-ranging book, Brian Davies discusses the basis for scientists' claims to knowledge about the world. He looks at science historically, emphasizing not only the achievements of scientists from Galileo onwards, but also their mistakes. He rejects the claim that all scientific knowledge is provisional, by citing examples from chemistry, biology and geology. A major feature of the book is its defense of the view that mathematics was invented rather than discovered. A large number of examples are used to illustrate these points, and many of the deep issues in today's world discussed-from psychology and evolution to quantum theory, consciousness and even religious belief. Disentangling knowledge from opinion and aspiration is a hard task, but this book provided a clear guide to the difficulties.

Genres: Philosophy, Science

308 pages, Hardcover

First published August 7, 2003

About the author

Edward Brian Davies was a professor of Mathematics, King's College London (1981–2010), and was the author of the popular science book Science in the Looking Glass: What do Scientists Really Know. In 2010, he was awarded a Gauss Lecture by the German Mathematical Society.

Reviews

[Padmanabh Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was something new and challenging from the genre of popular Science books. Some of the sections were clearly meant for those with good grasp on relevant areas of Maths/Physics and as a result I didn't clearly understand some of the sections, particulary on QM etc.

The author's views on the nature of mathematics, the possibility of discovering(inventing?) a theory of everything were quite different from what we generally hear from other Physicists/Mathematicians. He doesn't favour Platonism and suggests that the mathematical models that we create to explain and predict reality should not be confused with reality itself.

Overall I liked this book and if someone reading this knows any similar ones, I'd be grateful for the recommendations.

[Rayfes Mondal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deeply philosophical but backed by a ton of history and examples. Science is fantastic but far from perfect.

[Alexi Parizeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delivers a refreshing perspective on how mathematics is used across the sciences (and how it got this way). Really enjoyed this!