Like the creation myths they supersede, the revelations of science are
seared into our collective imagination through storytelling. From
Archimedes' bath to Newton's apple, vivid accounts of scientific
discovery help us understand the principles behind each theory, and add
to the larger narrative of how the universe works, and how we came to be
here. This anthology draws out and distils science's love of narrative
from a wide range of scientific disciplines, weaving theory into very
human stories, and delving into the humanity of theorists and
experimenters as they stood on the brink of momentous discoveries: from
Joseph Swan's original light-bulb moment to the uncovering of mirror
neurons lighting up empathy zones in the human brain; from Einstein's
revelation on a Bern tram, to Pavlov's identification of personality
types thanks to a freak flood in his St Petersburg lab. Each story has
been written in close consultation with scientists and historians and is
accompanied by a specially written afterword, expanding on the science
for a general audience. Together, they bring vividly to life the stories
behind the 'eureka!' moments that changed the way we live, forever.
