Ignorance: How It Drives Science

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Stuart Firestein (Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA)

Ignorance

How It Drives Science

Stuart Firestein (Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA)

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English

10 July 2012

Philosophy; Philosophy: epistemology & theory of knowledge; States of consciousness; Popular science; Neurosciences

"Knowledge is a big subject, says Stuart Firestein, but ignorance is a bigger one. And it is ignorance--not knowledge--that is the true engine of science.

Most of us have a false impression of science as a surefire, deliberate, step-by-step method for finding things out and getting things done. In fact, says Firestein, more often than not, science is like looking for a black cat in a dark room, and there may not be a cat in the room. The process is more hit-or-miss than you might imagine, with much stumbling and groping after phantoms. But it is exactly this ""not knowing,"" this puzzling over thorny questions or inexplicable data, that gets researchers into the lab early and keeps them there late, the thing that propels them, the very driving force of science. Firestein shows how scientists use ignorance to program their work, to identify what should be done, what the next steps are, and where they should concentrate their energies. And he includes a catalog of how scientists use ignorance, consciously or unconsciously--a remarkable range of approaches that includes looking for connections to other research, revisiting apparently settled questions, using small questions to get at big ones, and tackling a problem simply out of curiosity. The book concludes with four case histories--in cognitive psychology, theoretical physics, astronomy, and neuroscience--that provide a feel for the nuts and bolts of ignorance, the day-to-day battle that goes on in scientific laboratories and in scientific minds with questions that range from the quotidian to the profound.

Turning the conventional idea about science on its head, Ignorance opens a new window on the true nature of research. It is a must-read for anyone curious about science."

By: Stuart Firestein (Professor and Chair Department of Biological Sciences Professor and Chair Department of Biological Sciences Columbia University New York NY USA)
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 132mm, Width: 180mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 264g
ISBN: 9780199828074
ISBN 10: 0199828075
Publication Date: 10 July 2012
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for Ignorance: How It Drives Science

An excellent read, [it is] a fine companion text for potential scientists a the beginning of their studies ... You may gradually become more and more ignorant as you read, and you will enjoy the journey. Ignorance in this telling is truly bliss. Moran Cerf, Science Magazine a quietly mind-blowing new book. Readers Digest