A Scientist in Wonderland shows the importance of truth and ethics.
931478
A Scientist in Wonderland must be given to anyone that promotes alternative medicine. The book explains important principles regarding treatments evaluations. The book shows the amount of trouble a team of scientists can face when their research findings contradicts beliefs and opinions of people with power. Moreover, it shows the importance of the truth and ethics.
3683980
This is an intellectually provocative book. Michael Behe is willing to openly speak what it considered to be heresy by popular American culture.  And this honesty is refreshing.
If Behe proves to be correct about  irreducible  complexity, then theories of gradual mutation and natural  selection all fit into the fatally flawed category. "Respectable"  scientific hypotheses will have to include much more radical modes of  biological change, which can explain the arising of such irreducibly  complex structures.  And hypotheses for more radical change must reflect  real statistical possibilities (not fantasies).
Of course, there is  always the problem that science changes, from century to century.  As soon  as complacency sets in, an Einstein appears, forcing radical rethinking of  current hypotheses.
I find it interesting that some scientists who are  atheists, are coming to the same conclusions as Behe.  Science should be  simply science, without pretences to being philosophy or theology.  And the  freedom to recognize structures that appear to manifest intelligent design,  should be allowed for the sake of thoroughly honest scientific research.
1062692
In this present climateof heated rhetoric, poor listening, and pressure to consider only one point of view, The Explanation for Everything is refreshing. If you are expecting a polemic that comes down solidly on the side of Darwin or God, you will be disappointed. What you get instead is a story about real peopleon both sides of this equation who strugglewith personal and social issues.

Lauren Grodstein does a good job of balancing the concerns of both science and faith. To my mind, her approach requires a paradigm shift. Certainty is not a requirement in eitherdiscipline.

As we begin to notice the effects of sloppy thinking, careless attitudes, and moral or ethical failures in characters onboth sides, the tension builds. Scientific discovery is a reasoned process that yields exciting results, but life is morea science experiment. Faith is a mystery that offers hope, but strip away the mystery and it falls apart.

About the time that we realize the story is not a debunking or vindication of extreme points of view, we come to an understanding. If you have seen the movie, Sully, you will recognize the theme. It's the human factor.
4567267
Excellent and honest review of the state of modern physics. I love his expression: "fairy tale physics" referring to the heroic attempts to save the Mechanical Worldview in the face of overwhelming counter-evidence.
1160068
An entertaining and thought-provoking narrative of adventures and misadventures of modern scientists and a historian traveling to study the semi-independent region of Languedoc in southern France in the fourteen century.  The difference between the scientists' view of the situation and the local townspeople's growing awareness of their mysterious visitors can lead to consideration of "who's really aware of what's going on around here?"  Significant personal drama and sharp interaction keep the story moving along with the philosophical and humorous aspects of the story.
144438
A scientific adventure story well told.  This is a good book for teachers to put in the hands of budding scientists.  It portrays a relentless search for clues and evidence and international cooperation in the process.  This seems to me a more accurate depiction of real scientific research than the lone genius narrative that is so common in fiction and movies.
4158764
There is a reason for "Official Stories"--about historical, scientific, and medical events, for example--and Liam Scheff explains why: they exist "to protect officials." The "lone gun" and "magic bullets" that killed John F. Kennedy; the Afghan-cave-directed magic airplanes and physics-defying falling buildings that constitute the "official story" of 9/11; the retrovirus that causes AIDS even though no scientist can explain how HIV damages T-cells--these are just some of the accepted understandings that Scheff explores and demolishes in this wide-ranging book. It's full of exciting surprises, including: the debate over the author of the works of "Shakespeare"; a consideration of Darwinism not as a science but as a counter-religion; and a critique of the Big Bang origin of the universe, along with an exploration of a living and expanding earth and a pulsating, electronic universe--all delivered in a conversational tone. It's a great lesson in how to treat any "official story": with great skepticism and as an invitation to do heavy research, as Scheff has done, to find which officials are being protected by such stories.
1962013
For a scientist to advance such theories, he has taken a risk.
But what risk are we talking about? Academic? No. Because the fleet of scientists who believe in parallel worlds is getting bigger day by day.
Truth changes as new discoveries are brought to light.
This book is no exception.
3817780
"It's never too early when you're already late". There is a rabbit hole,  Allison is the Alice, this is Underland, not Wonderland. Lewis Carroll told the story to the world, but it wasn't quite accurate. Violence, sex, drugs, and magic make up Underland. It's a land of beautiful, twisted men. It's also in trouble and Alice is the only one who can save it from the darkness. This is a dark reverse harem that will change the way you look through the looking glass forever.

This book is a mindfu**. It takes the original oddities of Alice and Wonderland with its poetry and imagery and turns it on its head. It's brilliantly written. The world building, the character descriptions, the prose are all well thought out. It's intense, beautiful, equally ugly, and deadly.  This is a world of magic, but few women. The average marriage ratio is 10 men to 1 woman. Allison is promised 9 husbands in the prophecy. It's a nonsensical land where tea has a kick to it and eggs are red. It's a land of opposites. It holds the balance to the Topside.

The characters are complex. No one is totally likable or the total villain. Each is a bit of a mystery, each seems sinful, devious, and delightfully sexy, each seems to be carrying around some damage. The lands are ruled by four kings. Alice is being taken to meet and 'marry' the King of Hearts, although her plan is to get to the Looking Glass to return home. So far we have been introduced to the twin slaves Tweedledum and Tweedledee, riddle-happy Tee and Dee; The White Rabbit, Rab, complete with rabbit ears and moving clock tattoos; The Caterpillar, Lar with his beautiful wings; The Duke of Northumbria, North with his horns and a tail; and The Catshire Cat, Chash. We also know about the Mad Hatter, Raiden Walker, the March Hare, and Dor, the Dormouse. I easily fell in love with Tee and Dee, but each man has his own appeal.

The original Alice was never my favorite story. I preferred the fairy tale romance to political intrigue. Having said that I appreciated the insanity of this version. This is not the usual CM Stunich book. There are a few sexy times, but this book is more about setting up the story and placing all of the characters on the board. There are no instant connections.  I am looking forward to the bonds truly forming.  Allison's journey so far has been an adventure full of wonder, danger, sexual tension, and uncertainty. With the cliffhanger ending it appears the adventure is only beginning.
3052060
Rogers has created an intriguing examination of morality in the post-human world. Even more, he manages to do so without vilifying divergent views, and with a variety of humanly flawed characters. But all the rest pales before the story told by Fisher.  You find yourself constantly looking forward to the words "Excerpt from Fisher's Blog". Part robot "Charlie" (of 'Flowers for Algernon') part Neal Stephenson's 'Anathem', Fisher whisks through philosophy as a new minted mind.
A unique work of Science, Science Fiction, Philosophy, Religion, and Morality.
516705
The modern world is shrouded in obscurity of selfishness and atheism. This little star can surely lead the world to true enlightenment.
683599
Intuition is a fast-moving novel which captures the spirit of science at it is practiced.  Perhaps "The Double Helix" (nonfiction, mostly) was the first book of this type.  The quest for grants, the pressure to publish, the ethics, the demand for honesty, the pecking order, the characters, all of these ring true based on my career as a scientist.  Goodman is able to get inside the heads of many different people ... to really understand their point of view.  Describing certain characters who were athiests as having "The Scientific Faith", described in the novel, is a unique insight.
4163824
The obvious and stated goal of AC Grayling's book was to provoke the intellect with aspects of history, the arts, science, philosophy, and other subjects. Grayling does a good job making the reader interested in often overlooked characters and stories in life, often creating more questions in his essays than answers. However, that itself is the beauty of the book, forcing the reader to dive into intellectual unknowns and piece together these memorandums to better comprehend life itself. Thomas Paine once said something in the respect "Mystery is the antagonist of truth," but mystery is an ally of the intellect, causing people an interest in learning and eliminating mystery ("yearn to learn" as I call it). To seek truth, one must at least be interested, and I indeed gained interest and respect in what I formerly viewed as bagatelles. A great example is my deepened respect for architecture, which Grayling enlightened me about the importance of its deep symbolism illustrating mankind's successes as the dominant animal of Earth, the golden crown of evolution. Other examples hold my deep appreciation, namely his views on science and literature. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in philosophy, science, arts, history, or all of the above. Some slow parts, but I was nevertheless impressed and have positive feelings towards the book.
598586
Although Speculative Fiction is not my usual genre, I was intrigued by the plot of The Breeding Tree by J. Andersen. It involves a futuristic lab where babies are created artificially and, at random, allowed to live or die depending on whether or not they are deemed perfect.

Well I was completely caught up in this gripping tale that sent ripples of concern through me as I read. Although the setting is in the future, the plot seems to align itself with todays news. And it should frighten us all if we consider the potential ramifications of science and the loss of concern for lifeespecially lives that are not perfect.

This story made me realize how easy it is for humans to de-humanize others in their obsession with practical science taking precedence over mans soul. Although written for a YA audience, this book is a must read for everyone.
1248759
Now then, this is an interesting read.
The author has gone for a romp through all aspects of Science and Mathematics and stomped on many. He appears to have taken great delight in trampling on all the toys. What makes it better than many is its well researched, the academic in him cannot resist referencing sources and providing suggestions for further reading. Its not a rant by a relative of a conspiracy theorist but a true heretics guide. I particularly enjoyed the debunking of psychological research and the flaws in medicine.
A lot rang true to me as I grew up enjoying science at school and went on to university to study Pure Science. I had an adolescent crush on the innate truth of the discipline. I respected the biological sciences and was amused by the social sciences and their methods. Towards engineers I was polite but inwardly superior. Over a career of peddling the true way, I too began to have doubts as Physics became more and more preposterous. This book rings true in many ways and reflects my own journey. I too have reversed the league table of respect.
The writing style is a mixture, in a good way. It has depth when describing the intricacies of theories and research methods but also is an easy read with explanations pitched at the right level to bring a reader along. There is also a hint of Hunter S Thompson from the Gonzo school of literature.
I assume the author has gone into hiding as the scientific community rises up and hunts him down for his views, probably lead by Professors Kaku, Cox and Hawking.
1178241
Scientists have been known to detest philosophers, as did Richard Feynman, others see philosophy as a natural extension of science.  The latter is what natural philosophy meant during much of the history of science, an intellectual context for the discoveries that science continues to provide.  Many scientists philosophize about nature, some because they see the implications of science, some have been accused of resorting to "soft" arguments instead of employing "hard" science. Lederman, a master of the "hard" science that is called physics, sees its implications and endeavors to move it forward - all the while providing a philosophical context for it all.  That is in the very best tradition of natural philosophy, a union of inquiry, logic, vision, and possibly intuition.  The new edition was revised to take the latest findings into account - but it did not change in substance:  on a firm basis of experiment and insight, it explores the boundaries of physics with the firm conviction that they are not limits to what we can know but horizons beyond we can expect to eventually venture into what remains unknown.  Like the "Higgs" particle that Lederman courageously terms the "God particle" that may explain why objects and most elementary particles have mass.  A leader in the quest for this latest prey of particle physicists, Lederman expects that the latest and most powerful particle accelerator - the Large Hadron Collider - will find evidence for it very soon.  When it does, he will want to incorporate the discovery in this book.  It should not be a major revision, one can expect this book to be a classic even as it now is.
1557045
Three physicists have been confined to a very expensive posh mental institution, Les Cerisiers. Herbert George Beutler says he is Isaac Newton, but he knows that he is really Einstein. He adopted the guise of Newton to avoid upsetting another patient, Ernst Heinrich Ernesti, who claims he is Einstein. The third, Johann Wilhelm Mobius is himself.  As a long term patient, he enjoys frequent visions of King Solomon.
I had the great fortune of knowing little about the plot. I was continuously entertained by the playful unraveling of a murder mystery. I urge you to avoid learning more. The imagination of Durrenmatt is quite remarkable. He weaves an entertainingly unpredictable story.
This short play warrants reading more than once, even more than twice, as the Swiss playwright Friedrich Durrenmatt not only entertains us, but explores fundamental questions regarding the role of science in modern society.  The Physicists was written in 1962 when the world faced the possibility of nuclear war at any moment. The Physicists has been produced at the London Royal Court Theatre, on Broadway, and by many university theatre departments. I intend to become acquainted with the plays of Friedrich Durrenmatt.