What do you think?
Rate this book
Lost Science: Astonishing Tales of Forgotten Genius
Following the successful Lost to Time comes this fascinating companion volume on lost science stories from bestselling author Kitty Ferguson.
Acclaimed popular science writer Kitty Ferguson investigates little-explored byroads in the history of science, from Johannes Kepler’s nearly disastrous venture into the realm of science fiction to a mid-twentieth-century experiment involving EEGs and rocket fuel. She introduces such underappreciated geniuses as Mary the Jewess, the first-century ancestress of modern chemistry; and Lise Meitner, who escaped Nazi Germany only to have her role in the discovery of nuclear fission ignored by the Nobel committee. Ferguson also takes us on astounding adventures with the likes of Jesuit astronomer Ferdinand Verbiest, who invented the first automobile as a clever toy to amuse the Chinese emperor in seventeenth-century Beijing and then saved his own life by winning a bizarre astronomy competition in against his former torturer.
Acclaimed popular science writer Kitty Ferguson investigates little-explored byroads in the history of science, from Johannes Kepler’s nearly disastrous venture into the realm of science fiction to a mid-twentieth-century experiment involving EEGs and rocket fuel. She introduces such underappreciated geniuses as Mary the Jewess, the first-century ancestress of modern chemistry; and Lise Meitner, who escaped Nazi Germany only to have her role in the discovery of nuclear fission ignored by the Nobel committee. Ferguson also takes us on astounding adventures with the likes of Jesuit astronomer Ferdinand Verbiest, who invented the first automobile as a clever toy to amuse the Chinese emperor in seventeenth-century Beijing and then saved his own life by winning a bizarre astronomy competition in against his former torturer.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 18, 2017
5 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Kitty Ferguson
23 books29 followersKitty Ferguson, a former professional musician with a life long interest in science, is an independent scholar and lecturer who lives in Cambridge, England, and South Carolina.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 31, 2021
I very much enjoyed this book. Popular science writing is, in my experience at least, a very well developed literature now. And Kitty Ferguson is as smooth as it can get when it comes to "dumbing down" really complicated science for the masses. If that is your cup of tea, go ahead and read this. You'll also enjoy the kick-ass visuals that are both relevant and beautiful.
In science classes, we usually are told who discovered what but rarely under what circumstances they did what they did, what sort of lives they led, how were their relations with other people. Of course every now and then we have a sneak peek into some of those proverbial "Eureka" moments. But most of these are mere anecdotes mixed with myth and lore, such as how Archimedes found the water displacement theory while taking a bath, how Galileo smartly snarked the Catholic Church or how the apple landed on Newton's head. These are the types of stories that helped shape the popular opinion as to what a scientist should be like: absent-minded, grumpy, old, male, asocial, asexual etc. This image is being reproduced over and over again by mass media and the film industry ad nauseam. But is it the truth?
Of course, it is not. Contrary to the popular image, scientists are people too and they show an impressive diversity. In that sense they are a pretty good representation of the general public (not, admittedly, in terms of intelligence and passion). The more you delve into this book and into the worlds and lives of mostly now obscure scientists, you come close to understanding, or more accurately appreciating, the sort of the challenges they had to put up with in order to bear the brunt of humankind's progress.
This is sadly the part that is mostly ignored of the lives of these scientists. And I've come to love this book because of the compelling human portraits it features, who had to make breakthroughs against all odds: they had to overcome wars, incarceration, bigotry, epidemics, tropical diseases, witch trials, mean rivals, sinister friends, gender segregation, genocides, and losing family members to make their science. It is formidable how these people thrived under the conditions that might have broken, and probably did break, the more faint-hearted.
If you ask my personal favourite, it was the story of kindly Alfred Russell Wallace.
And in the end, science turns out, at least for most of the people subject to this book, a very thankless endeavour. So in that sense as well, I think this book is a very nice dedication to the people who risked and sometimes gave their lives for the betterment of the human condition.
Here is to these heroes - Thank you!
In science classes, we usually are told who discovered what but rarely under what circumstances they did what they did, what sort of lives they led, how were their relations with other people. Of course every now and then we have a sneak peek into some of those proverbial "Eureka" moments. But most of these are mere anecdotes mixed with myth and lore, such as how Archimedes found the water displacement theory while taking a bath, how Galileo smartly snarked the Catholic Church or how the apple landed on Newton's head. These are the types of stories that helped shape the popular opinion as to what a scientist should be like: absent-minded, grumpy, old, male, asocial, asexual etc. This image is being reproduced over and over again by mass media and the film industry ad nauseam. But is it the truth?
Of course, it is not. Contrary to the popular image, scientists are people too and they show an impressive diversity. In that sense they are a pretty good representation of the general public (not, admittedly, in terms of intelligence and passion). The more you delve into this book and into the worlds and lives of mostly now obscure scientists, you come close to understanding, or more accurately appreciating, the sort of the challenges they had to put up with in order to bear the brunt of humankind's progress.
This is sadly the part that is mostly ignored of the lives of these scientists. And I've come to love this book because of the compelling human portraits it features, who had to make breakthroughs against all odds: they had to overcome wars, incarceration, bigotry, epidemics, tropical diseases, witch trials, mean rivals, sinister friends, gender segregation, genocides, and losing family members to make their science. It is formidable how these people thrived under the conditions that might have broken, and probably did break, the more faint-hearted.
If you ask my personal favourite, it was the story of kindly Alfred Russell Wallace.
And in the end, science turns out, at least for most of the people subject to this book, a very thankless endeavour. So in that sense as well, I think this book is a very nice dedication to the people who risked and sometimes gave their lives for the betterment of the human condition.
Here is to these heroes - Thank you!
March 23, 2024
Well written stories with etchings sometimes referred to in the text. Each of 10 chapters is about a scientist with the dates they lived, except Chapter 9, which has Milankovic living from 1864 til today.
The fourth wall is occasionally broken to the detriment of story and style. The last chapter is over long and repetitive.
You'd like to think that scientists would follow the scientific method. After all, proving or disproving research through well designed, evidence based work that is peer reviewed is what science is all about.
Sadly lives are destroyed by jealousy, greed, war, sexism, loopies etc. unchanged since time/records began around 1 CE. The science, for the most part, goes on. It's the recognition of the scientists that is lost.
Equally inspiring and depressing. Forgotten genius indeed.
The fourth wall is occasionally broken to the detriment of story and style. The last chapter is over long and repetitive.
You'd like to think that scientists would follow the scientific method. After all, proving or disproving research through well designed, evidence based work that is peer reviewed is what science is all about.
Sadly lives are destroyed by jealousy, greed, war, sexism, loopies etc. unchanged since time/records began around 1 CE. The science, for the most part, goes on. It's the recognition of the scientists that is lost.
Equally inspiring and depressing. Forgotten genius indeed.
May 9, 2021
There’s nothing better than learning about the unknown, at least to me. As an upcoming biology major, science has always fascinated me, so when I found a book about the lost discoveries and people of all types of sciences, I knew I had to get it!
The author really captures the essencne of science and not only teaches the reader, but makes them understand and be intrigued as to what’s going on. It was an incredible read.
The author really captures the essencne of science and not only teaches the reader, but makes them understand and be intrigued as to what’s going on. It was an incredible read.
July 28, 2023
This book was so good! It's that perfect history book which is both entertaining to read while being informative, and I love the inclusion of pictures throughout. I'm definitely not a science person, but I do love history and I enjoyed how this book doesn't get too scientific while describing basic science in terms that a layperson like me can understand. And it was nice that I only recognized one person featured in this book, so I learned a lot.
November 17, 2023
Really interesting book. Full of stories about people I've never heard of and discoveries that were largely forgotten. The only two I had heard of were Alfred Wallace and Johannes Kepler, but there was so much more to their stories than I knew.
My biggest complaint was the writing. Huge paragraphs and lots of long quotes made it slow to read. But I'd recommend it anyway if you are a science junkie like me.
My biggest complaint was the writing. Huge paragraphs and lots of long quotes made it slow to read. But I'd recommend it anyway if you are a science junkie like me.
October 20, 2017
This is a collection of stories about people who made scientific advances but are largely forgotten today, of people who are known but whose own legends have overshadowed their actual accomplishments, or of those who discovered/invented something first but didn't necessarily get credited with it by history. I really enjoyed this, and in fact read it in a single weekend.
August 8, 2022
I enjoyed this collection of tales about lost science. I'm not sure I agree that all of these count as "lost" and the science behind some of them isn't always explained at the level I would like, but it was an interesting book.
Read
July 20, 2024Some very good sections in this book, however there are also some mediocre sections where I wondered if the section was just added to fill out the book.
The highlight for me was the section on Lise Meitner; what an amazing woman and scientist!
The highlight for me was the section on Lise Meitner; what an amazing woman and scientist!
March 28, 2018
Good true stories of exceptional scientists.
January 1, 2021
The last book I finished in 2020, and one of the most interesting I read this year.
March 29, 2021
Great book, really makes you realize how many people are actually behind each great scientific discovery.
February 24, 2023
Fascinating glimpse into some of the most brilliant - and strange - characters in science that you've never heard of.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews