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Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful science for non-scientists
Review: An easy to read and usually very comprehensible selection of ten crucial experiments in science, each pair interspersed with an "interlude" of science philosophy. The realities of choosing experiments were fairly presented, which is that the scientist(s) involved thought in advance that a certain relationship existed, then designed an experiment to verify. Good scientists admit it when the experiment does not confirm their notions. None of the idealized "hypothesis, experiment, theory, experiment, law" that we were taught in school. The judgment of the scientists on what data points to accept or reject, and their close relation with the apparatus was seen as most important. The importance of peer-review and replication was down-played.
The experiments were chosen by polling the authors contacts, and are Eratosthenes' measurement of the earth's circumference, Galileo's work on gravity by dropping things and by using inclined planes, Newton's analysis of colors by using two prisms on sunlight, Cavendish's determination of the mass of the earth, Young's double slit experiment showing the wave nature of light, Foucault's pendulum demonstrating the rotation of the earth, Millikan's oil-drop experiment to determine the charge of the electron, Rutherford's gold foil bombardment that showed the structure of the atom, and a team's experiment that showed the wave nature of single electrons.
All good choices, but the lack of Chemistry and Biology experiments is the biggest fault of the choices.
Crease visited a number of the sites where the experiments were done. The book also has a large number of endnotes to sources. The placement of the experiments in the context of their times was well done. Personalities of the scientsts were discussed. The public's reactions to the experiments was given. What makes an experiment beautiful and comparisons of art and science were well done. No other recent book of this type was found on searching www.Amazon.com.
My only complaints are that some of the diagrams that would have made comprehension easier were not presented. More was needed on Galileo's inclined planes to show F = M.a better; it was hard to see how Cavendish's experiment worked; and Rutherford's experiment sorely needed a picture of atoms in foil deflecting alpha rays as in any Chemistry text. Maybe to be done for a second printing, as this book should deserve.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful Book...Beautiful Minds...Beautiful Experiments
Review: +++++
The author, Robert Crease, a professor of philosophy and historian, sums up this entire book (that has ten chapters with a separate introduction and conclusion) by telling us to "think of this book as a special kind of gallery [of science experiments]." He goes on to say that "this gallery contains [ten experiments] of rare beauty, each with its own [experimental] design, distinct materials, and unique appeal. You will not like everything equally, for your background, experience, education, and personal taste will incline you to prefer some [experiments] over others."
These experiments were chosen by conducting a poll. The author asked readers of a certain international science magazine what they thought were the most beautiful science experiments. Then the author selected the ten most frequently mentioned candidates. (By the way, the author admits that his "poll, to be sure, was unscientific.")
The ten experiments, from oldest to more recent, are as follows:
(1) An ancient experiment that uses a shadow, a measuring tool, and junior high school geometry. ("It is so simple and instructive that it is reenacted annually, almost 2,500 years later, by school children all around the globe.")
(2) A 400-year-old experiment that was demonstrated on the surface of the Moon in August of 1971 by one of the Apollo 15 astronauts.
(3) "The first modern scientific experiment [done by the same person of (2) above], in which an investigator...planned, staged, and observed a series of actions in order to discover a mathematical law."
(4) A three-centuries-old experiment that the author describes as "a landmark in the history of science [since it reveals a new aspect of nature] and a sensational demonstration of the experimental method."
(5) "A measurement experiment that stood out by [its] extreme degree of precision." (The laboratory where this experiment was first performed was in the same lab where Watson and Crick discovered - many years later - the structure of DNA.)
(6) This experiment was "a classic example of the successful use of analogy in science."
(7) An experiment that uses "one of the simplest devices in science" and enables you "to watch the Earth turn."
(8) A century-old experiment (actually a series of experiments) that was "a defining moment in our electronic age." (This experiment, in my opinion, was rather messy and not really that beautiful.)
(9) An experiment that "marked the birth of modern particle physics." (This is my favorite experiment of these ten.)
(10) This experiment's result "is one of the most awesome and arresting human experiences." (This was the most frequently selected experiment in the poll.)
Throughout the book, two main questions are indirectly answered. These questions are as follows:
(i) "What does it mean for experiments, if they can be beautiful?"
(ii) "What does it mean for beauty, if experiments can possess it?"
Each of the book's ten chapters concludes with a short "interlude." Many of these interludes deal directly or indirectly with beauty in science. For example, there are interludes that have the following titles: "Why Science is Beautiful" and "Does Science Destroy Beauty?" But other subjects are covered in these interludes such as experiment versus demonstration and science & culture. Be sure to read the interlude entitled "The Newton-Beethoven Comparison."
The last chapter has a "Runners-Up" interlude. These are experiments that did not make it into the author's ten-best list.
The conclusion of this book is entitled "Can Science Still be Beautiful?" It details the author's "personal candidate for the most beautiful experiment" and gives comprehensive answers to the two main questions posed above.
This book is very easy to read (and the 25 illustrations throughout this book aid in that ease) and assumes no science background. You are given a wealth of historical and biographical information of all major persons involved in each experiment. The only prequisite, I feel, that's needed to read this book is inquisitiveness and curiosity.
What I especially enjoyed about this book is that throughout it we are given some examples of the actual writings of the experimenters (as well as those who admired them and those who did not). One of my favorite writings is as follows: "It was quite the most incredible event that has ever happened to me in my life. It was almost as incredible as if you fired a 15-inch [artillery] shell at a piece of tissue paper and it came back and hit you."
My only complaint is with the book's subtitle: "The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments in Science." Remember that the poll to obtain these ten experiments was unscientific. Thus, I feel that this subtitle is unjustified and perhaps misleading. Therefore, the book's subtitle should more accurately read "Ten Beautiful Experiments in Science."
In conclusion, this is somewhat of a unique book that attempts to explain how science can be beautiful and illustrates this idea with ten beautiful experiments. This book allows the reader to experience science's beauty, mystery, and wonderment. As well, the reader gets to experience the thrill of discovery!!
**** 1/2
+++++
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Book...Beautiful Minds...Beautiful Experiments
Review: =====>The author, Robert Crease, a professor of philosophy and historian, sums up this entire book (that has ten chapters with a separate introduction and conclusion) by telling us to "think of this book as a special kind of gallery [of science experiments]." He goes on to say that "this gallery contains [ten experiments] of rare beauty, each with its own [experimental] design, distinct materials, and unique appeal. You will not like everything equally, for your background, experience, education, and personal taste will incline you to prefer some [experiments] over others." These experiments were chosen by conducting a poll. The author asked readers of a certain international science magazine what they thought were the most beautiful science experiments. Then the author selected the ten most frequently mentioned candidates. (By the way, the author admits that his "poll, to be sure, was unscientific.") The ten experiments, from oldest to more recent, are as follows: (1) An ancient experiment that uses a shadow, a measuring tool, and junior high school geometry. ("It is so simple and instructive that it is reenacted annually, almost 2,500 years later, by school children all around the globe.") (2) A 400-year-old experiment that was demonstrated on the surface of the Moon in August of 1971 by one of the Apollo 15 astronauts. (3) "The first modern scientific experiment [done by the same person of (2) above], in which an investigator...planned, staged, and observed a series of actions in order to discover a mathematical law." (4) A three-centuries-old experiment that the author describes as "a landmark in the history of science [since it reveals a new aspect of nature] and a sensational demonstration of the experimental method." (5) "A measurement experiment that stood out by [its] extreme degree of precision." (The laboratory where this experiment was first performed was in the same lab where Watson and Crick discovered - many years later - the structure of DNA.) (6) This experiment was "a classic example of the successful use of analogy in science." (7) An experiment that uses "one of the simplest devices in science" and enables you "to watch the Earth turn." (8) A century-old experiment (actually a series of experiments) that was "a defining moment in our electronic age." (This experiment, in my opinion, was rather messy and not really that beautiful.) (9) An experiment that "marked the birth of modern particle physics." (This is my favorite experiment of these ten.) (10) This experiment's result "is one of the most awesome and arresting human experiences." (This was the most frequently selected experiment in the poll.) Throughout the book, two main questions are indirectly answered. These questions are as follows: (i) "What does it mean for experiments, if they can be beautiful?" (ii) "And what does it mean for beauty, if experiments can possess it?" (Both these questions, as well, are given thorough treatment in the book's conclusion.) Each of the book's ten chapters concludes with a short "interlude." Many of these interludes deal directly or indirectly with beauty in science. For example, there are interludes that have the following titles: "Why Science is Beautiful" and "Does Science Destroy Beauty?" But other subjects are covered in these interludes such as experiment versus demonstration and science & culture. Be sure to read the interlude entitled "The Newton-Beethoven Comparison." The last chapter has a "Runners-Up" interlude. These are experiments that did not make it into the author's ten-best list. The conclusion of this book is entitled "Can Science Still be Beautiful?" It details the author's "personal candidate for the most beautiful experiment" and, as already mentioned, gives comprehensive answers to the two main questions stated above. This book is very easy to read (and the 25 illustrations throughout this book aid in that ease) and assumes no science background. You are given a wealth of historical and biographical information of all major persons involved in each experiment. The only prequisite, I feel, that's needed to read this book is inquisitiveness and curiosity. What I especially enjoyed about this book is that throughout it we are given some examples of the actual writings of the experimenters (as well as those who admired them and those who did not). One of my favorite writings is as follows: "It was quite the most incredible event that has ever happened to me in my life. It was almost as incredible as if you fired a 15-inch (artillery) shell at a piece of tissue paper and it came back and hit you." My only complaint is with the book's subtitle: "The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments in Science." Remember that the poll to obtain these ten experiments was unscientific. Thus, I feel that this subtitle is unjustified and perhaps misleading. Therefore, the book's subtitle should more accurately read "Ten Beautiful Experiments in Science." In conclusion, this is somewhat of a unique book that attempts to explain how science can be beautiful and illustrates this idea with ten beautiful experiments. This book allows the reader to experience science's beauty, mystery, and wonderment. As well, the reader gets to experience the thrill of discovery!! **** 1/2 <=====>
Rating:
Summary: would have been perfect, but my copy was misproduced.
Review: I enjoyed the book's descriptions of the experiments but felt that the author could have done more to emphasize the intellectual "beauty" the technical details behind the experiments. The interludes attempting to justify their "beauty" were dry and I just glossed over them.
Rating:
Summary: would have been perfect, but my copy was misproduced.
Review: I have a strong background in physics, and I've always been a great lover of science popularization books. I do like the way that this book is written. But the publisher botched the production! My copy was missing pages 9 to 42, therefore all of chapter two was gone. Maybe its best to wait for the second printing to be sure this doesn't happen to you...
Rating:
Summary: Good Refresher/Introduction
Review: Robert Crease is a professor at Stony Brook University in NY and writes the Critical Point column every month in Physics World magazine.
Any Top Ten list will spur discussion (?I can?t believe he included that/excluded this?) and this list is no different. Some are no-brainers and will be familiar to even casual science aficionados.
But the book isn?t about the most important experiments - it?s about the most ?beautiful? experiments. Crease explains the science but also gets into the people behind the science and the creativity and, yes, beauty of the process.
He starts with Eratosthenes 3rd century BC experiment that measured the circumference of the Earth with sticks, shadows and basic geometry.
Galileo has two experiments in the Top 10 - dropping the balls from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to show the same rate of fall even for different weights and his Alpha experiment involving the inclined plane that you may have duplicated in Physics 101.
We read about Newton?s splitting of light with prisms and Young?s slits and ripple tanks to show the wave nature of light (contradicting Newton). I remember more success with the ripple tanks than the slits in high school lab.
Foucault?s Pendulum had to be included and it is still a source of wonder when viewed at dozens of local Museums. Yes, it is we (on the Earth) that are constantly moving.
The later choices are less evident - dealing with the atom, electrons and quantum theory - than the classics of mechanics, but still good choices.
The book is a good introduction or refresher to some great science.
Rating:
Summary: Beauty prizes
Review: The "war" of the humanities against science has been long and arduous. According to Crease, the revelations of science in the 18th and 19th Centuries led the Romanticists to claim nature's wonders had been diluted or destroyed by the "mechanics". He refutes those assertions with an expressive study of ten "beautiful" experiments. Crease isn't arguing for a redefinition of "beauty" in this book. On the contrary, he shows how beauty's normally accepted role in human life can be suitably applied to science's accomplishments. He admits outright to his own surprise at a researcher's exclamation over a "beautiful" experiment. The novelty of the assertion led him to query many scientists on which experiments might be so considered. The responses both surprised and gratified him. The result of his survey is this excellent book. The ten selected range from the means to first measure the earth to the realization that electrons can be in two places at once. A combination of good science and fine writing, coupled with an astute historical sense make this book a treasure. What makes an experiment "beautiful"? Crease sets three criteria: depth, efficiency and definitiveness. "Depth" implies something fundamental about the world is revealed by the experiment. Certainly, measuring the globe using shadows in sunlight qualifies that criterion. "Efficiency" means the result is general enough to preclude having to do the experiment in a different manner to gain the same results. "Definitiveness" suggests that anyone can understand both the experiment and its value. Clearly, his ten choices show how these criteria work. Following the descriptive essay, Crease then explains the "beauty" aspect of it in the appropriate scenario, whether music, graphic art or theatre. Of the ten, the two of the title are symbolic: Newton's breakdown and recombination of sunlight with prisms and Foucault's use of a pendulum to verify the Earth's rotation. Newton's demonstration has probably been castigated by the humanities more than anything else in science. "Unweaving the Rainbow" was the causus belli of the Victorian Romanticists their assault on science. Crease readily dismisses such obscurantism in explaining how valuable an exercise Newton's analysis of light proved. By extending the experiment from breaking down light to recombining it, Newton showed how research, like creating a painting, must reach beyond first results. There is, Crease notes, even a moral lesson in the exercise. Foucault's pendulum conveys a reality about our world we cannot perceive otherwise. Awed by the realization that only our planet's rotation can force the pendulum to describe a circle while swaying from its mount, Crease applauds the teachers who bring their students to observe it. The experience is so profound, Crease describes it as a manifestation of "sublime beauty". It is clearly an experiment beyond an exercise in either pure mechanics or reasoning. Seeing the swinging orb successively tumbling a set of pegs forces a reconsideration of how we perceive the universe. What else, he asks, might greater perception have in store? This book challenges all who feel their perception of either science or beauty is complete. It is a worthwhile read for anyone asking, at any level, about the world they inhabit. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Rating:
Summary: Beauty prizes
Review: The "war" of the humanities against science has been long and arduous. According to Crease, the revelations of science in the 18th and 19th Centuries led the Romanticists to claim nature's wonders had been diluted or destroyed by the "mechanics". He refutes those assertions with an expressive study of ten "beautiful" experiments. Crease isn't arguing for a redefinition of "beauty" in this book. On the contrary, he shows how beauty's normally accepted role in human life can be suitably applied to science's accomplishments. He admits outright to his own surprise at a researcher's exclamation over a "beautiful" experiment. The novelty of the assertion led him to query many scientists on which experiments might be so considered. The responses both surprised and gratified him. The result of his survey is this excellent book. The ten selected range from the means to first measure the earth to the realization that electrons can be in two places at once. A combination of good science and fine writing, coupled with an astute historical sense make this book a treasure. What makes an experiment "beautiful"? Crease sets three criteria: depth, efficiency and definitiveness. "Depth" implies something fundamental about the world is revealed by the experiment. Certainly, measuring the globe using shadows in sunlight qualifies that criterion. "Efficiency" means the result is general enough to preclude having to do the experiment in a different manner to gain the same results. "Definitiveness" suggests that anyone can understand both the experiment and its value. Clearly, his ten choices show how these criteria work. Following the descriptive essay, Crease then explains the "beauty" aspect of it in the appropriate scenario, whether music, graphic art or theatre. Of the ten, the two of the title are symbolic: Newton's breakdown and recombination of sunlight with prisms and Foucault's use of a pendulum to verify the Earth's rotation. Newton's demonstration has probably been castigated by the humanities more than anything else in science. "Unweaving the Rainbow" was the causus belli of the Victorian Romanticists their assault on science. Crease readily dismisses such obscurantism in explaining how valuable an exercise Newton's analysis of light proved. By extending the experiment from breaking down light to recombining it, Newton showed how research, like creating a painting, must reach beyond first results. There is, Crease notes, even a moral lesson in the exercise. Foucault's pendulum conveys a reality about our world we cannot perceive otherwise. Awed by the realization that only our planet's rotation can force the pendulum to describe a circle while swaying from its mount, Crease applauds the teachers who bring their students to observe it. The experience is so profound, Crease describes it as a manifestation of "sublime beauty". It is clearly an experiment beyond an exercise in either pure mechanics or reasoning. Seeing the swinging orb successively tumbling a set of pegs forces a reconsideration of how we perceive the universe. What else, he asks, might greater perception have in store? This book challenges all who feel their perception of either science or beauty is complete. It is a worthwhile read for anyone asking, at any level, about the world they inhabit. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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