Know This - (Edge Question) by John Brockman (Paperback)

About the Book

"The latest volume in the bestselling series from Edge.org--dubbed "the world's smartest website" by The Guardian--brings together 175 of the world's most innovative and brilliant thinkers to discuss recent scientific breakthroughs that will shape the future. Scientific developments radically alter our understanding of the world. Whether it's technology, climate change, health research, or the latest revelations of neuroscience, physics, or psychology, science has, as Edge editor John Brockman says, "become a big story, if not the big story." In that spirit, this new addition to Edge.org's fascinating series asks a powerful and provocative question: What do you consider the most interesting and important recent scientific news?"--Amazon.com.

Book Synopsis

Today's most visionary thinkers reveal the cutting-edge scientific ideas and breakthroughs you must understand.

Scientific developments radically change and enlighten our understanding of the world -- whether it's advances in technology and medical research or the latest revelations of neuroscience, psychology, physics, economics, anthropology, climatology, or genetics. And yet amid the flood of information today, it's often difficult to recognize the truly revolutionary ideas that will have lasting impact. In the spirit of identifying the most significant new theories and discoveries, John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org ("The world's smartest website" -- The Guardian), asked 198 of the finest minds What do you consider the most interesting recent scientific news? What makes it important?

Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond on the best way to understand complex problems * author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics Carlo Rovelli on the mystery of black holes * Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker on the quantification of human progress * TED Talks curator Chris J. Anderson on the growth of the global brain * Harvard cosmologist Lisa Randall on the true measure of breakthrough discoveries * Nobel Prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek on why the twenty-first century will be shaped by our mastery of the laws of matter * philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on the underestimation of female genius * music legend Peter Gabriel on tearing down the barriers between imagination and reality * Princeton physicist Freeman Dyson on the surprising ability of small (and cheap) upstarts to compete with billion-dollar projects. Plus Nobel laureate John C. Mather, Sun Microsystems cofounder Bill Joy, Wired founding editor Kevin Kelly, psychologist Alison Gopnik, Genome author Matt Ridley, Harvard geneticist George Church, Why Does the World Exist? author Jim Holt, anthropologist Helen Fisher, and more.

From the Back Cover

Today's most visionary thinkers reveal the cutting-edge scientific ideas and breakthroughs you must understand.

Scientific developments radically change and enlighten our understanding of the world--whether it's advances in technology and medical research or the latest revelations of neuroscience, psychology, physics, economics, anthropology, climatology, or genetics. And yet amid the flood of information today, it's often difficult to recognize the truly revolutionary new ideas that will have lasting impact. In the spirit of identifying the most significant new theories and discoveries, John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org ("The world's smartest website"--The Guardian), asked 198 of the finest minds What do you consider the most interesting recent scientific news? And what makes it important?

Pulitzer Prize--winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel JARED DIAMOND on the best way to understand complex problems - author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics CARLO ROVELLI on the mystery of black holes - Harvard psychologist STEVEN PINKER on the quantification of human progress - TED Talks curator CHRIS J. ANDERSON on the growth of the global brain - Harvard cosmologist LISA RANDALL on the true measure of breakthrough discoveries - Nobel Prize--winning physicist FRANK WILCZEK on why the twenty-first century will be shaped by our mastery of the laws of matter - philosopher REBECCA NEWBERGER GOLDSTEIN on the underestimation of female genius - music legend PETER GABRIEL on tearing down the barriers between imagination and reality - Princeton physicist FREEMAN DYSON on the surprising ability of small (and cheap) upstarts to compete with billion-dollar projects. Plus Nobel laureate JOHN C. MATHER, Sun Microsystems cofounder BILL JOY, Wired founding editor KEVIN KELLY, psychologist ALISON GOPNIK, Genome author MATT RIDLEY, Harvard geneticist GEORGE CHURCH, Why Does the World Exist? author JIM HOLT, anthropologist HELEN FISHER, and more.

Review Quotes

"Addictive, fascinating, exciting--even on topics I already knew quite a lot about. Very high quality." - Daniel C. Dennett, bestselling author of Breaking the Spell; University Professor and Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University

"An epicenter of bleeding-edge insight across science, technology and beyond, hosting conversations with some of our era's greatest thinkers." - The Atlantic

"Offers a rare chance to discover big ideas before they hit the mainstream." - New York Times Book Review

"The way Brockman interlaces essays about research on the frontiers of science with ones on artistic vision, education, psychology and economics is sure to buzz any brain." - Chicago Sun-Times

"The brightest minds in the known universe." - Vanity Fair

"An intellectual treasure trove." - San Francisco Chronicle

"Brockman's array of contributors and subject matter makes for an often lively collection." - Publishers Weekly

"Delightful. ... Lucid intellectual hors d'oeuvres that deserve rereading." - Kirkus Reviews