by Michael R. Rose ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 1998
Ironically, Rose (Evolutionary Biology/Univ. of Calif., Irvine) invokes the image of a hovering Darwinian ghost in this altogether rational, absorbing account of the past 150 years of Darwinism. His three-part analysis first addresses the origins of the ideas we call Darwinism; next, its applications; and finally, what Darwinism may or may not contribute to our understanding of human nature. Part one places the theory of natural selection into the context of Darwin’s life—and the familiar influences of family, Malthus, and Erasmus (included are unfamiliar tales of Erasmus’s prodigious feats of paternity!). The rediscovery of Mendelism at the turn of the century led to furious disputes between mutationists and biometricians who espoused Darwin’s erroneous theory of blending inheritance. Rose touches on the theory of kin selection, epitomized by insect societies, and introduces a number of game theoretic principles in discussions of intraspecies male-male competition. Part two deals with the seldom discussed importance of Darwinism in animal and plant breeding; the evils of eugenics; and the implications of evolutionary biology for medicine. Rose’s own research figures here: he has demonstrated that forced delays in the reproduction of a population of fruit flies over a dozen generations led to doubling the lifespan—presumably, by forcing natural selection to work harder to keep the older flies fit until they could reproduce. Part three is the most speculative, as Rose ponders questions of brain size, the origin of values and religion, and the various attempts of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology to ground human behavior in genetics and selection-driven behavioral strategies. Discussion here is limited to how people act in the contexts of marketplace economics and political ideology; missing are any references to our urges to create art or science, to love or sacrifice. No doubt opponents will argue that Rose, for all his rationality, has put a Darwinian ghost in the machine. Be that as it may, he makes an excellent case for the importance of evolutionary biology to all of science.
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-691-01217-2
Page Count: 227
Publisher: Princeton Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1998
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by Carlo Rovelli ; translated by Simon Carnell & Erica Segre ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2016
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
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Italian theoretical physicist Rovelli (General Relativity: The Most Beautiful of Theories, 2015, etc.) shares his thoughts on the broader scientific and philosophical implications of the great revolution that has taken place over the past century.
These seven lessons, which first appeared as articles in the Sunday supplement of the Italian newspaper Sole 24 Ore, are addressed to readers with little knowledge of physics. In less than 100 pages, the author, who teaches physics in both France and the United States, cogently covers the great accomplishments of the past and the open questions still baffling physicists today. In the first lesson, he focuses on Einstein's theory of general relativity. He describes Einstein's recognition that gravity "is not diffused through space [but] is that space itself" as "a stroke of pure genius." In the second lesson, Rovelli deals with the puzzling features of quantum physics that challenge our picture of reality. In the remaining sections, the author introduces the constant fluctuations of atoms, the granular nature of space, and more. "It is hardly surprising that there are more things in heaven and earth, dear reader, than have been dreamed of in our philosophy—or in our physics,” he writes. Rovelli also discusses the issues raised in loop quantum gravity, a theory that he co-developed. These issues lead to his extraordinary claim that the passage of time is not fundamental but rather derived from the granular nature of space. The author suggests that there have been two separate pathways throughout human history: mythology and the accumulation of knowledge through observation. He believes that scientists today share the same curiosity about nature exhibited by early man.
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-18441-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
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by Carlo Rovelli ; translated by Simon Carnell
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by Carlo Rovelli ; translated by Marion Lignana Rosenberg
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by Carlo Rovelli ; translated by Erica Segre & Simon Carnell
by Richard Rhodes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1986
A magnificent account of a central reality of our times, incorporating deep scientific expertise, broad political and social knowledge, and ethical insight, and Idled with beautifully written biographical sketches of the men and women who created nuclear physics. Rhodes describes in detail the great scientific achievements that led up to the invention of the atomic bomb. Everything of importance is examined, from the discovery of the atomic nucleus and of nuclear fission to the emergence of quantum physics, the invention of the mass-spectroscope and of the cyclotron, the creation of such man-made elements as plutonium and tritium, and implementation of the nuclear chain reaction in uranium. Even more important, Rhodes shows how these achievements were thrust into the arms of the state, which culminated in the unfolding of the nuclear arms race. Often brilliantly, he records the rise of fascism and of anti-Semitism, and the intensification of nationalist ambitions. He traces the outbreak of WW II, which provoked a hysterical rivalry among nations to devise the bomb. This book contains a grim description of Japanese resistance, and of the horrible psychological numbing that caused an unparalleled tolerance for human suffering and destruction. Rhodes depicts the Faustian scale of the Manhattan Project. His account of the dropping of the bomb itself, and of the awful firebombing that prepared its way, is unforgettable. Although Rhodes' gallery of names and events is sometimes dizzying, his scientific discussions often daunting, he has written a book of great drama and sweep. A superb accomplishment.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1986
ISBN: 0684813785
Page Count: 932
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986
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