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Serendipity - by Telmo Pievani (Hardcover)

Serendipity - by  Telmo Pievani (Hardcover) - 1 of 1
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About this item

Highlights

  • From the bestselling author of Imperfection, a theory of uncertainty as the very core of the scientific method--and the essence of its wonder.
  • About the Author: Telmo Pievani is Full Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Padua, where he covers the first Italian chair of Philosophy of Biological Sciences.
  • 216 Pages
  • Science, History

Description



About the Book



Translation of: Serendipitáa: l'inatteso nella scienza.



Book Synopsis



From the bestselling author of Imperfection, a theory of uncertainty as the very core of the scientific method--and the essence of its wonder.

How many times have we looked for something and found something else? A partner, a job, an object? The same thing often happens to scientists: they design an experiment and discover the unexpected, which usually turns out to be very important. This fascinating phenomenon is called serendipity, which takes its name from the mythical Serendip, a place from which, according to a Persian fable, three princes set off to explore the world, making chance discoveries along the way. In Serendipity, the award-winning author of Imperfection Telmo Pievani returns to weave a compelling story about the unexpected in science and its fascinating role in our understanding of the world.

Going far beyond the usual examples of penicillin, X-rays, the microwave oven, and Christopher Columbus, Pievani shows that the most surprising stories of serendipity in the history of science reveal profound aspects of the logic of scientific discovery. In this book, he presents for the first time: an archaeology of the idea; a taxonomy of serendipitous discoveries; an "ecology of serendipity" (the surrounding conditions and factors that can promote it); and lastly, a theory of serendipity (why it occurs so frequently in so many sciences). From Zadig to Sherlock Holmes, Pievani shows that such great discoveries are not just the product of luck. Instead, serendipity comes from a mix of cunning, curiosity, sagacity, imagination, and accidents caught on the fly. Serendipity illuminates how much we don't know and how much we don't even know we don't know. Above all, Pievani reminds us that the human brain is of a piece with the world it is investigating--a world so much bigger than our knowledge--and it has also evolved within that world, adapting as it has to.



Review Quotes




"In this stimulating study, Pievani (Imperfection), a biology professor at the University of Padua, surveys chance's role in advancing scientific knowledge...Erudite and illuminating, this [book] persuades."
--Publishers Weekly

"Serendipity integrates literature, philosophy, and science to explore an idea crucial to scientific discovery . . . a comprehensive, penetrating analysis of the role of the unexpected in scientific exploration."
--Foreword Reviews



About the Author



Telmo Pievani is Full Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Padua, where he covers the first Italian chair of Philosophy of Biological Sciences. A leading evolutionist, science communicator, and columnist for Corriere della Sera, he is the author of The Unexpected Life, Creation without God, Imperfection (MIT Press), and other books.
Dimensions (Overall): 8.1 Inches (H) x 5.5 Inches (W) x 1.1 Inches (D)
Weight: .7 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Sub-Genre: History
Genre: Science
Number of Pages: 216
Publisher: MIT Press
Format: Hardcover
Author: Telmo Pievani
Language: English
Street Date: September 3, 2024
TCIN: 90921020
UPC: 9780262049153
Item Number (DPCI): 247-06-2306
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 1.1 inches length x 5.5 inches width x 8.1 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.7 pounds
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