The Golem: What Everyone Should Know About Science

An antidote to the hagiography of science that dispels the idea of clear cut and definitive experiments that change knowledge as we know it. Familiar topics like Pasteur's experiments on spontaneous generation and Einstein's predictions vs Newton's models are made more clear by explaining how they were less clear than we're led to believe. In a world surrounded by half baked studies and media headline manipulation, this is more important than ever. Even the "definitive" experiments weren't, and were instead manipulated, interpreted and lobbied for.
The book balances these heroic triumphs of science with lesser known failures, and shows the similarities in the mire of uncertainty. It's the sausage making of advancing scientific show more understanding and it's ugly. show less

The Golem takes the form of case histories of some of science's defining moments (Eddington's 'proof' of Einstein's relativity) and some less well-known ones (the sex-life of lizards). The main point is to show how such discoveries and advancements aren't the result of pure logical and experimental method, but occur in conjunction with other factors. Often, controversies are not categorically settled, but things simply move on - due to lack of funding, new discoveries in other fields, etc. Pinch and Collins are not sceptical about scientific advance, however, but merely wish to show (like Thomas Kuhn) how it may not be a completely rational process (as its cheerleaders would have us believe). Very readable and fascinating - a great show more book.

Gareth Southwell is a philosopher, writer and illustrator. show less

In this book, Collins and Pinch explore several scientific controversies, ranging from settled historical examples like the non-spontaneous generation of life in sterilized mediums, and various proofs of relativity, to modern examples of experimenter's regress in the detection of gravity waves, solar neutrinos, and cold fusion. They amply show that science is a human endeavor, and at the cutting edge it is the human qualities and foibles that matter. As an exploration of relatively non-political controversies, this would make a great introduction to the messiness of real science in an intro STS course (which is in fact where I read it). A deserved classic.