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Charbel's 2015 Science Challenge
@Thanks Pink!@Jean- I'm really looking forward to reading it. If you need some motivation we could always set up a readalong.
Thanks Charbel - it's not yet on Kindle though. I'll be interested in your comments if it's still not available. Otherwise I'll join you :)
Paul wrote: "Finished A Buzz in the Meadow today, which might be one that you may like Charbel"Another great recommendation. Thanks Paul :)
Finished The Black Swan, but I still have a long way to go with Darwin.
I will occupy myself with Darwin until February starts.
Charbel wrote: "I will occupy myself with Darwin until February starts."And that's your idea of relaxation! I am shaking my head in awe & disbelief :)
Leslie wrote: "Charbel wrote: "I will occupy myself with Darwin until February starts."And that's your idea of relaxation! I am shaking my head in awe & disbelief :)"
Lol! It keeps my mind busy.
First part of On The Shoulders Of Giants: Copernicus' On The Revolution of Heavenly Bodies.I'm still in the beginning but have learned a lot. One thing that comes to mind is that astronomy is not the easiest subject to read in translated fifteenth century writing. Sometimes I have to read some very large sentences more than once to understand what he's trying to say (Apparently Copernicus was not a fan of commas). I actually felt relief when the mathematics came up because that was something that I could follow with ease.
Other than that it's quite interesting. For instance, it was fun finding out that Copernicus believed the Earth was more land than water, and described those who believed otherwise as "fools".
Charbel, I can't imagine translated fifteenth century writing is the easiest to understand on this subject, though you have made it sound quite interesting!
Thanks Pink, but it's the subject that's interesting. Copernicus sent his book to the pope at a time when the notion of the earth as the center of the universe was nonnegotiable, in which he boldly demonstrated that we live in a heliocentric world.
I read a biography of Galileo, and thought this earlier work would be fascinating - but a bit much to tackle!"Copernicus was not a fan of commas" made me laugh! Yes, they didn't go much for punctuation in the 15th century, did they? It reminds me of a joke I saw on Facebook the other day ...
Teacher standing on front of class, "Yes, quite correct, the semi-colon is a winky face. But in olden days it was used to break up sentences into parts ..."
Charbel, you're just making me want to read it more! I do have the book on my tbr shelf, but I would probably want to buy it, rather than borrow from the library, due to the size! I'm glad you're enjoying it though and I agree a fascinating period to be reading about.
I can recommend Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love, Pink, which sort of follows on from that time.
Thanks Jean, I've added it to my never ending TBR.Charbel, do keep us updated on the book. Is it working through other scientist's works in a time linear progression?
Lol Jean! I think I've seen a similar post like that somewhere.Pink, it's really a fascinating book. It's made up of five parts, each part is a work by a notable physicist. It follows chronological order with Copernicus being the first. The physicists are (in order) Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Einstein, as well as essays about each physicist by Hawking himself. I definitely recommend it. I will be sure to keep you updated.
Started The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene, and in the preface Dawkins has already determined who his audience is:"The readers for whom I am mainly writing are my professional colleagues, evolutionary biologists, ethologists and sociobiologists, ecologists, and of course graduate or undergraduate students in all these disciplines. Therefore, although this book is in some ways the sequel to my previous book, The Selfish Gene, it assumes that the reader has professional knowledge of evolutionary biology and its technical terms."
Hence it's a book mainly written for scientists (in the biological fields), which explains why some reviews claimed it was too technical.
Dawkins later adds: "I suppose most scientists- most authors- have one piece of work of which they would say: if you have never read anything else of mine, please read this. For me, it is The Extended Phenotype."
Yep, I'm one who found The Extended Phenotype too technical and agree it's a better book for scientists. I'm sure you'll enjoy it more.
Pink wrote: "Yep, I'm one who found The Extended Phenotype too technical and agree it's a better book for scientists. I'm sure you'll enjoy it more."One reader put it as "Not for the layman". What I don't understand is if this is the book he wants to remembered for, then why not make it more accessible to the general public?
I think the thing with The Extended Phenotype is that it's very much a follow up to The Selfish Gene. It answered a lot of previous critics questions, tidied things up and extended more thoroughly into his work. Hence it's further complexity. It's certainly not unreadable for the layperson, I understood most of what was written, but it delved too deep into those topics to be enjoyable for me. I'm not a scientist, I don't study these topics and so I don't need this much detailed scientific information for personal enjoyment in my reading. If on the other hand I was a student or professional, or just somebody with a deeper scientific interest, then I can imagine this is the book to get the most out of. The one he is most proud of, for developing his own theories. Though of course he has written a lot more books since then.
Pink wrote: "I think the thing with The Extended Phenotype is that it's very much a follow up to The Selfish Gene. It answered a lot of previous critics questions, tidied things up and extended more thoroughly ..."I guess you're right.
Jean wrote: "I read a biography of Galileo, and thought this earlier work would be fascinating - but a bit much to tackle!"Copernicus was not a fan of commas" made me laugh! Yes, they didn't go much for punct..."
Made me laugh! Or should I say LOL ;)
I don't know. Did you just laugh to yourself, or did you actually laugh out loud? ;-)
;)(Apologies for diverting your thread Charbel!)
June:1. I Think You'll Find it's a Bit More Complicated Than That
by Ben Goldacre (General Science).
Read
.2. Classical Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum
by Leonard Susskind (Physics/Mathematics).
I like the sound of the Ben Goldacre book!
It looks incredibly interesting Shirley! I had to put it at the bottom of my to-read pile with the spine to the back just so that I wouldn't be tempted to read it before time. The effectiveness of such a method is debatable.
Ha ha, it won't be long before you read it then!
Paul wrote: "Bought the Ben Goldacre book today"You've read other books by him Paul, haven't you? Like Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients.
I have indeed. They are both worth reading
Once month at a time is getting a bit boring, so I'm adding a bonus category.Bonus:
Bad Science
by Ben Goldacre.Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients
by Ben Goldacre.Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character
by Richard P. Feynman.
Finished Copernicus a few days ago, the format of the book remains the same, where he would state what he believes and then try to prove it mathematically. I won't say I understood everything, but I did get most of it. The language turned out to be the biggest barrier, as Copernicus' delivery is rather complicated, the translation might have something to do with that, I'm sure it must be easier to understand in Latin.Up next is Galileo. I should add that there is virtually no chance that I would be able to finish this colossus by the end of the month, so I'm considering making it one physicist a month.
Well done on finishing Copernicus, I wouldn't expect anyone to finish this whole book within a month, but it will make a nice long challenge in-between your other books. I hope Galileo is as enjoyable.
Pink wrote: "Well done on finishing Copernicus, I wouldn't expect anyone to finish this whole book within a month, but it will make a nice long challenge in-between your other books. I hope Galileo is as enjoya..."Thanks Pink.
Second part of On The Shoulders of Giants: Dialogues Concerning Two Sciences By Galileo:Galileo seems to present his ideas in the form of a dialogue between three students: Saliviati, Sagredo and Simplicio. The three of them are currently debating engineering topics according to the teachings of their teacher Academicia, who represents Galileo. It's interesting to read how they try to explain phenomena without referring to gravity, especially since it's so essential to what they're discussing.
The writing is clear and simple, the maths is for now explained verbally and with the help of images.
Adding to the challenge:Does God Play Dice?: The New Mathematics of Chaos
by Ian Stewart.
Read
The Double Helix
by James D. Watson.
I've decided to read Watson's book, even though he is a complete racist. The discovery of DNA was a landmark of human accomplishment, and despite usually boycotting authors I disagree with, I've decided to read it because I wouldn't be buying it, just borrowing it from the library.
I think that's a good decision Charbel and probably the same stance I'd take with his book. I boycott authors I don't agree with, but in this case I think the content and discovery of DNA outweighs things. Plus, yeah for libraries :)
Pink wrote: "I think that's a good decision Charbel and probably the same stance I'd take with his book. I boycott authors I don't agree with, but in this case I think the content and discovery of DNA outweighs..."Thanks Pink. And I agree: yay for libraries.
I agree that it's hard to separate a person from his/her work. Unfortunately it's not always the best people who do the best work, especially in a very competitive world such is the academic (and I would add medical) field.
I actually find it very amusing that while some scientists looked at genetics to prove the white race superiority, genetics itself is a constant and undeniable proof that all humans are created equal.
I actually find it very amusing that while some scientists looked at genetics to prove the white race superiority, genetics itself is a constant and undeniable proof that all humans are created equal.
Giorgia wrote: "I agree that it's hard to separate a person from his/her work. Unfortunately it's not always the best people who do the best work, especially in a very competitive world such is the academic (and ..."Absolutely! That's why I love DNA. The idea that I share the majority of my genes with someone on a completely different part of the planet is staggering. It's mind-blowing that if we go back far enough, every single organism on Earth is related to everyone else.
I agree with your stance too Charbel. It is "safe" in this way to read some classic authors, but if a contemporary author hold views which appall me, and I think I may be supporting them further (in a tiny way), I will not purchase their books, though I may be intrigued enough to confirm my suspicions through a library.
Jean wrote: "I agree with your stance too Charbel. It is "safe" in this way to read some classic authors, but if a contemporary author hold views which appall me, and I think I may be supporting them further (i..."Despite how appalled I am by him, he is still the co-discoverer of DNA. And as far I know Crick didn't write an account of the discovery.
All About Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Stuff Matters: The Strange Stories of the Marvellous Materials that Shape Our Man-made World (other topics)Stuff Matters: The Strange Stories of the Marvellous Materials that Shape Our Man-made World (other topics)
The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design (other topics)
Does God Play Dice?: The New Mathematics of Chaos (other topics)
On the Shoulders of Giants: The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ian Stewart (other topics)Leonard Susskind (other topics)
Ian Stewart (other topics)
Gabrielle Walker (other topics)
James D. Watson (other topics)
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@Paulfuzz- we actually read a chapter from it in an environmental class as an example of how to communicate important scientific ideas to the general public, and ever since I've wanted..."
I can't really say that I hope you enjoy it as it's not that kind of book, but I hope you find it a worthwhile read. I found it a very powerful experience and it gave me so much to think about; it's certainly affected how I see the world in a big way.