Bøger i Revolutions in Science serien

The history of the computer is entwined with that of the modern world and most famously with the life of one man, Alan Turing. How did this device, which first appeared a mere 50 years ago, come to structure and dominate our lives so totally? An enlightening mini-biography of a brilliant but troubled man.

In the 1960s, an English scientist names James Lovelock formulated a controversial explanation: Earth is alive. Telling the story of this pioneer and his struggle to gain respectability, this book explains how Lovelock's hypothesis is gradually ushering in a scientific revolution.

Argues that not only has Kuhn's dominance had an adverse impact on the field but both thinkers have been radically misinterpreted in the process. This debate raises a question: Can science remain an independent, progressive force in society, or is it destined to continue as the technical wing of the military-industrial complex?

In Sweden and Britain, imperial powers both, Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks ruled over their own small scientific empires, promoting botanical exploration to justify the exploitation of territories, peoples, and natural resources. This book explores the entwined destinies of these two men and how their influence served both science and empire.