Michael Gordin se zaměřuje na historii moderní vědy a zkoumá její dopady na společnost. Jeho práce se často zabývá průsečíkem vědy, politiky a společenských idejí, přičemž odhaluje složité způsoby, jakými vědecké poznání formuje náš svět. Gordin analyzuje historické události a myšlenkové proudy s důrazem na jejich dlouhodobé důsledky a vzájemné působení různých oblastí lidského poznání. Jeho přístup nabízí čtenářům hlubší porozumění klíčovým momentům vědeckého pokroku a jejich širšímu kulturnímu kontextu.
Na jaře 1911 se Albert Einstein s manželkou a dvěma syny přestěhoval do Prahy, kde působil jako profesor teoretické fyziky na německé univerzitě. Proti původním očekáváním zůstal v Praze jen šestnáct měsíců, a toto období tedy jeho životopisci obvykle považují za nedůležitou epizodu. Michael Gordin důkladně zkoumá setkání velkého vědce s městem s tisíciletou historií; jeho kniha není jen záznamem jednoho období vědecké kariéry, ale i portrétem doby a města.
Most Americans believe that the Second World War ended because the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan forced it to surrender. Five Days in August boldly presents a different interpretation: that the military did not clearly understand the atomic bomb's revolutionary strategic potential, that the Allies were almost as stunned by the surrender as the Japanese were by the attack, and that not only had experts planned and fully anticipated the need for a third bomb, they were skeptical about whether the atomic bomb would work at all. With these ideas, Michael Gordin reorients the historical and contemporary conversation about the A-bomb and World War II. Five Days in August explores these and countless other legacies of the atomic bomb in a glaring new light. Daring and iconoclastic, it will result in far-reaching discussions about the significance of the A-bomb, about World War II, and about the moral issues they have spawned.
Today, the language of science is English. But the dominance of this particular language is a relatively recent phenomenon - and far from a foregone conclusion.In a sweeping history that takes us from antiquity to the modern day, Michael D. Gordin untangles the web of politics, money, personality and international conflict that created the monoglot world of science we now inhabit. Beginning with the rise of Latin, Gordin reveals how we went on to use (and then lose) Dutch, Italian, Swedish and many other languages on the way, and sheds light on just how significant language is in the nationalistic realm of science - just one word mistranslated into German from Russian triggered an inflammatory face-off between the two countries for the credit of having discovered the periodic table. Intelligent, revealing and full of compelling stories, Scientific Babel shows how the world has shaped science just as much as science has transformed the world.
The book has been recognized as a choice selection by the New York Times Book Review Editors, highlighting its literary significance and appeal. It promises to engage readers with its compelling narrative and thought-provoking themes, making it a must-read for those seeking quality literature. The acclaim suggests a well-crafted story that resonates with contemporary audiences.
Many people would be able to agree on a list of things that fall under the umbrella of pseudoscience - astrology, phrenology, UFOlogy, creationism, and eugenics might come to mind. But defining what makes these fields "pseudo" and differentiates them from genuine science is a far more complex issue. On the Fringe explores the philosophical and historical attempts to address this problem of demarcation. Michael D. Gordin guides readers along a bewildering array of marginalized doctrines, focusing on some of the central debates about what science is and is not, and how such controversies have shifted over the centuries. On the Fringe provides a historical tour through various theories, providing readers with the tools to think deeply about scientific controversies both past and present.
Many people would be able to agree on a list of things that fall under the umbrella of pseudoscience--astrology, phrenology, UFOlogy, creationism, and eugenics might come to mind. But defining what makes these fields "pseudo" and differentiates them from genuine science is a far more complex issue. Michael D. Gordin provides a historical tour through various theories, guiding readers along a bewildering array of marginalized doctrines, focusing on some of the central debates about what science is and is not, and how such controversies have shifted over the centuries--back cover.
Wo Wissenschaft auf Pseudowissenschaft trifft