An illuminating collection of essays by an award-winning scientist whom
the London Times *calls "one of the world's most original minds."*From
Galileo to today's amateur astronomers, scientists have been rebels,
writes Freeman Dyson. Like artists and poets, they are free spirits who
resist the restrictions their cultures impose on them. In their pursuit
of Nature's truths, they are guided as much by imagination as by reason,
and their greatest theories have the uniqueness and beauty of great
works of art.Dyson argues that the best way to understand science is by
understanding those who practice it. He tells stories of scientists at
work, ranging from Isaac Newton's absorption in physics, alchemy,
theology, and politics, to Ernest Rutherford's discovery of the
structure of the atom, to Albert Einstein's stubborn hostility to the
idea of black holes. His descriptions of brilliant physicists like
Edward Teller and Richard Feynman are enlivened by his own reminiscences
of them. He looks with a skeptical eye at fashionable scientific fads
and fantasies, and speculates on the future of climate prediction,
genetic engineering, the colonization of space, and the possibility that
paranormal phenomena may exist yet not be scientifically
verifiable.Dyson also looks beyond particular scientific questions to
reflect on broader philosophical issues, such as the limits of
reductionism, the morality of strategic bombing and nuclear weapons, the
preservation of the environment, and the relationship between science
and religion. These essays, by a distinguished physicist who is also a
lovely writer, offer informed insights into the history of science and
fresh perspectives on contentious current debates about science, ethics,
and faith.
