Science for the Citizen

Fülszöveg

A Self-Educator Based on the Social Background of Scientific Discovery
Science for the Citizen
In Mathematics for the Million Professor Hogben expounded the language of science in the Hght of social progress from prehistory to modern times. In this new work he has done the same thing for science itself Here the entire realm of science is his field—astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology—described and interpreted as a tool which shapes society and which society in turn sharpens to a keener edge. Distinguished alike by its clarity of exposition, its breadth of learning, and its humanistic outlook, this book is a magnificent achievement, a veritable encyclopedia of man's knowledge of himself and the universe he lives in.
But this is far more than a book to which one can go for "information." It is aimed at certain definite audiences and has a definite purpose. It is partly written, says the author, "for the large and growing number of intelligent adults who realize that... Tovább

Fülszöveg

A Self-Educator Based on the Social Background of Scientific Discovery
Science for the Citizen
In Mathematics for the Million Professor Hogben expounded the language of science in the Hght of social progress from prehistory to modern times. In this new work he has done the same thing for science itself Here the entire realm of science is his field—astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology—described and interpreted as a tool which shapes society and which society in turn sharpens to a keener edge. Distinguished alike by its clarity of exposition, its breadth of learning, and its humanistic outlook, this book is a magnificent achievement, a veritable encyclopedia of man's knowledge of himself and the universe he lives in.
But this is far more than a book to which one can go for "information." It is aimed at certain definite audiences and has a definite purpose. It is partly written, says the author, "for the large and growing number of intelligent adults who realize that the Impact of Science on Society is now the focus of genuinely constructive, social effort. It is also written for the large and growing number of adolescents who realize that- they will be the first victims of the new destructive powers of science misapplied." Then, by calling his book "a primer for the age of plenty," Professor Hogben states its purpose: to show us the instruments that are at hand for the creation of a just and rational social order—a civilization in which there is no hunger, no homeless-ness, no wars, no racial hatreds, and as Uttle disease and insanity as possible, and where the fruits of the earth may be leisurely enjoyed in beautiful surroundings by healthy, decent men and women. The instruments are at hand. Professor Hogben proves, for the inventory of scientific achievement is great and its powers vast.
Thus this book is not only an essential education for the alert citizen —essential because scientific discoveries affect the everyday lives of everyone—but also an adventure into the genius of the past and the potential achievements of the future. Here the reader will learn what the electrical engineer, the physical chemist, the biologist, and the physiologist can already do and what they will soon be able to do for the founding of a new social culture. He will leam, in brief, that scientific humanism is justified in asserting that the duty of a Government is not merely to create work, but to create leisure and abundance. Who can doubt that the reading of such a book will make us better citizens? Vissza