To Light Such a Candle: Chapters in the History of Science and Technology

by Keith J. Laidler

In To light such a candle , renowned chemist and science historian Keith Laidler examines the progress of science and technology over the centuries, tracing the often separate paths of these pursuits, showing how they have ultimately worked together to transform everyday life. Faraday's pure
research on electricity, for example, had immense technological implications, while Maxwell's theory of electromagnetic radiation led directly to the discovery of radio transmission, something of which Maxwell himself had no conception. Conversely, the early steam engines were by no means
science-based, but they led directly to the science of thermodynamics, one of the most fundamental branches of pure science. Illuminated by many fascinating stories from the history of science, this book provides a powerful argument for the relevance of pure research, and gives the general reader
and scientist alike an idea of the nature and importance of the links between science and technology.

396 pages, Hardcover

First published February 19, 1998

About the author

Keith James Laidler, born in England, was notable as a pioneer in chemical kinetics and authority on the physical chemistry of enzymes.