[Phys-L] Re: Stories to share

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

If you want a plethora of stories to share, the book by Tony Rothman about
who discovered/invented what is an eye opener.  "Everything's Relative : And
Other Fables from Science and Technology"  The review below from Amazon
gives an idea of what the book is about.  I disagree with the last sentence
of the review.  The whole point of the book is that there often are no real
heroes.  So we should not try to replace them.

> From Publishers Weekly
"In this chatty popular science volume, physicist Rothman (Instant Physics;
Doubt and Certainty) dispels cherished fables of scientific achievement by
revealing that scientists sometimes lie, steal from each other and pursue
personal and national glory in unethical ways. Rothman dissects historical
records to reveal the complex and often ugly reality of the old scientific
saw, "Either you do the calculation or you get the credit." Though he states
that his intended audience is "the masses weaned on high school and college
texts, television and magazines," his frantic forays into quantum physics,
electromagnetism and relativity may lose lay readers. But details of
personal rivalries and unscrupulous behavior among mythologized figures like
physicist Richard Feynman and Thomas Edison are undeniably fascinating.
Rothman sets a lot of the blame for the problem at the feet of the biggest
award in science and on the public's "naïve picture of science as a
collection of discoveries made by isolated geniuses." He suggests abolishing
the Nobel Prize, and with it scientists' desire to claim first dibs on
discoveries. Ultimately, the book does offer credit to the unsung heroes of
science, but it whips too quickly through names, interactions, dates and
scientific principles. Readers may feel as if they've been left with
tarnished heroes, without having the satisfaction of discovering clear
replacements."

John M. Clement
Houston, TX
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