In Science, Patricia Fara rewrites science's past to provide new ways
of understanding and questioning our modern technological society.
Sweeping through the centuries from ancient Babylon right up to the
latest hi-tech experiments in genetics and particle physics, Fara's book
also ranges internationally, challenging notions of European superiority
by emphasizing the importance of scientific projects based around the
world, including revealing discussions of China and the Islamic Empire
alongside the more familiar stories about Copernicus's sun-centered
astronomy, Newton's gravity, and Darwin's theory of evolution.
We see for instance how Muslim leaders encouraged science by building
massive libraries, hospitals, and astronomical observatories and we
rediscover the significance of medieval Europe--long overlooked--where,
surprisingly, religious institutions ensured science's survival, as the
learning preserved in monasteries was subsequently developed in new and
unique institutions: universities. Instead of focussing on esoteric
experiments and abstract theories, she explains how science belongs to
the practical world of war, politics, and business. And rather than
glorifying scientists as idealized heroes, she tells true stories about
real people--men (and some women) who needed to earn their living, who
made mistakes, and who trampled down their rivals.
