Ignorance how it drives science
(eBook)
Author
Contributors
Published
Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2012.
Physical Desc
195 pages
Status
More Details
Format
eBook
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"Knowledge is a big subject, says Stuart Firestein, but ignorance is a bigger one. And it is ignorance--not knowledge--that is the true engine of science. Most of us have a false impression of science as a surefire, deliberate, step-by-step method for finding things out and getting things done. In fact, says Firestein, more often than not, science is like looking for a black cat in a dark room, and there may not be a cat in the room. The process is more hit-or-miss than you might imagine, with much stumbling and groping after phantoms. But it is exactly this "not knowing," this puzzling over thorny questions or inexplicable data, that gets researchers into the lab early and keeps them there late, the thing that propels them, the very driving force of science. Firestein shows how scientists use ignorance to program their work, to identify what should be done, what the next steps are, and where they should concentrate their energies. And he includes a catalog of how scientists use ignorance, consciously or unconsciously--a remarkable range of approaches that includes looking for connections to other research, revisiting apparently settled questions, using small questions to get at big ones, and tackling a problem simply out of curiosity. The book concludes with four case histories--in cognitive psychology, theoretical physics, astronomy, and neuroscience--that provide a feel for the nuts and bolts of ignorance, the day-to-day battle that goes on in scientific laboratories and in scientific minds with questions that range from the quotidian to the profound. Turning the conventional idea about science on its head, Ignorance opens a new window on the true nature of research. It is a must-read for anyone curious about science"--,Provided by publisher.
Reproduction
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest, 2015. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest affiliated libraries.
Description
Loading Description...
Also in this Series
Checking series information...
Subjects
Other Subjects
Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Firestein, S. (2012). Ignorance: how it drives science . Oxford University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Firestein, Stuart. 2012. Ignorance: How It Drives Science. Oxford University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Firestein, Stuart. Ignorance: How It Drives Science Oxford University Press, 2012.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Firestein, Stuart. Ignorance: How It Drives Science Oxford University Press, 2012.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
Staff View
Grouped Work ID
9ca3255d-e06a-ac82-9d18-141d94066bc1-eng
Grouping Information
Grouped Work ID | 9ca3255d-e06a-ac82-9d18-141d94066bc1-eng |
---|---|
Full title | ignorance how it drives science |
Author | firestein stuart |
Grouping Category | book |
Last Update | 2024-03-22 07:03:19AM |
Last Indexed | 2024-05-01 04:45:38AM |
Book Cover Information
Image Source | syndetics |
---|---|
First Loaded | Jun 10, 2022 |
Last Used | Apr 29, 2024 |
Marc Record
First Detected | Aug 09, 2021 12:19:38 PM |
---|---|
Last File Modification Time | Nov 22, 2021 08:15:03 AM |
MARC Record
LEADER | 03878nam a2200445 a 4500 | ||
---|---|---|---|
001 | EBC886533 | ||
003 | MiAaPQ | ||
006 | m E | | ||
007 | cr cn||||||||| | ||
008 | 120127s2012 enk sb 001 0 eng d | ||
010 | |z 2011051395 | ||
020 | |z 9780199828074 | ||
020 | |z 9780199828081 (e-book) | ||
035 | |a (Sirsi) EBC886533 | ||
035 | |a (Sirsi) EBC886533 | ||
035 | |a (MiAaPQ)EBC886533 | ||
035 | |a (Au-PeEL)EBL886533 | ||
035 | |a (CaPaEBR)ebr10540754 | ||
035 | |a (CaONFJC)MIL362519 | ||
035 | |a (OCoLC)780445269 | ||
040 | |a MiAaPQ|c MiAaPQ|d MiAaPQ | ||
050 | 4 | |a Q175.32.K45|b F57 2012 | |
082 | 0 | 4 | |a 501/.9|2 23 |
100 | 1 | |a Firestein, Stuart. | |
245 | 1 | 0 | |a Ignorance|h [eBook] :|b how it drives science /|c Stuart Firestein. |
260 | |a Oxford ;|a New York :|b Oxford University Press,|c 2012. | ||
300 | |a 195 p. | ||
504 | |a Includes bibliographical references and index. | ||
505 | 8 | |a Machine generated contents note: -- Chapter 1. A Short View of Ignorance -- Chapter 2. Finding Out -- Chapter 3. Limits, Uncertainty, Impossibility, and Other Minor Problems -- Chapter 4. Unpredicting -- Chapter 5. The Quality of Ignorance -- Chapter 6. Ignorance in Action: Case Histories -- Chapter 7. Ignorance beyond the Lab. | |
520 | |a "Knowledge is a big subject, says Stuart Firestein, but ignorance is a bigger one. And it is ignorance--not knowledge--that is the true engine of science. Most of us have a false impression of science as a surefire, deliberate, step-by-step method for finding things out and getting things done. In fact, says Firestein, more often than not, science is like looking for a black cat in a dark room, and there may not be a cat in the room. The process is more hit-or-miss than you might imagine, with much stumbling and groping after phantoms. But it is exactly this "not knowing," this puzzling over thorny questions or inexplicable data, that gets researchers into the lab early and keeps them there late, the thing that propels them, the very driving force of science. Firestein shows how scientists use ignorance to program their work, to identify what should be done, what the next steps are, and where they should concentrate their energies. And he includes a catalog of how scientists use ignorance, consciously or unconsciously--a remarkable range of approaches that includes looking for connections to other research, revisiting apparently settled questions, using small questions to get at big ones, and tackling a problem simply out of curiosity. The book concludes with four case histories--in cognitive psychology, theoretical physics, astronomy, and neuroscience--that provide a feel for the nuts and bolts of ignorance, the day-to-day battle that goes on in scientific laboratories and in scientific minds with questions that range from the quotidian to the profound. Turning the conventional idea about science on its head, Ignorance opens a new window on the true nature of research. It is a must-read for anyone curious about science"--|c Provided by publisher. | ||
533 | |a Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest, 2015. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest affiliated libraries. | ||
650 | 0 | |a Science|x Philosophy. | |
650 | 0 | |a Ignorance (Theory of knowledge) | |
650 | 0 | |a Discoveries in science. | |
655 | 4 | |a Electronic books. | |
710 | 2 | |a ProQuest (Firm) | |
856 | 4 | 0 | |u http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/yavapai-ebooks/detail.action?docID=886533|x Yavapai College|y Yavapai College users click here to access |
856 | 4 | 0 | |u http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/prescottcollege-ebooks/detail.action?docID=886533|x Prescott College|y Prescott College users click here to access |
856 | 4 | 0 | |u http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/yln-ebooks/detail.action?docID=886533|x Yavapai Library Network|y All other users click here to access |
945 | |a E-Book |