If science thrives on controversy, then this study is surely the latest blow from the ``multiregional evolutionary hypothesis'' corner, duking it out with the Out-of-Africa champions. Husband-and-wife anthropologists Wolpoff and Caspari (both at the University of Michigan) are out to set the record straight and defend paleoanthropologists (read fossil analysts) against the molecular biologists for whom DNA evidence is the sole desideratum in resolving human origins. In essence, the authors assert that while Africa may have been the birthplace of our species, there have been multiple migrations out of Africa. These have resulted in regional populations, allowing useful physical and behavioral adaptations to develop. But constant movements of peoples, especially at the edges of the regions, guaranteed a mixed gene pool (we even carry Neanderthal genes, according to this theory), so that the concept of pure races is erroneous. In contrast, the DNA folks base their position on an analysis of mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited only through the maternal line. African samples show considerable DNA variation, while the rest of the world is remarkably similar. Ergo, we are the progeny of several ladies out of Africa who settled in different regions and developed separately, replacing rather than mixing with other populations. According to this theory, the species Homo sapiens is of relatively recent vintage, though racial differences are still considered insignificant. So who is right? Wolpoff and Caspari fault the DNA analysis and the times and dates proposed, as well as offering alternative arguments for the genetic data in terms of population sizes, genetic drift, and so on. In the end they are not convincing. (This is not to say that the molecular biologists don't need more data and better computer programs and that they really ought not to be so adversarial.) Readers can rest assured that the last word has not been heard.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-684-81013-1
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1996
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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