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 prolific
writer, offer informed insights into the history of science and fresh
perspectives on contentious current debates about science, ethics, and
faith.
