Failure: why science is so successful

R$ 198,90

Sinopse

The general public has a glorified view of the pursuit of scientific research. However, the idealized perception of science as a rule-based, methodical system for accumulating facts could not be further from the truth. Modern science involves the idiosyncratic, often bumbling search for understanding in uncharted territories, full of wrong turns, false findings, and the occasional remarkable success.In his sequel to Ignorance (Oxford University Press, 2012), Stuart Firestein shows us that the scientific enterprise is riddled with mistakes and errors - and that this is a good thing! Failure: Why Science Is So Successful delves into the origins of scientific research as a process that relies upon trial and error, one which inevitably results in a hefty dose of failure. In fact, scientists throughout history have relied on failure to guide their research, viewing mistakes as a necessary part of the process. Citing both historical and contemporary examples, Firestein strips away the distorted view of science as infallible to provide the public with a rare, inside glimpse of the messy realities of the scientific process.An insider's view of how science is actually carried out, this book will delight anyone with an interest in science, from aspiring scientists to curious general readers. Accessible and entertaining, Failure illuminates the greatest and most productive adventure of human history, with all the missteps along the way.

Participantes

Autor: Stuart Firestein

Autor

STUART FIRESTEIN

Stuart Firestein (Filadélfia — EUA, 1949) é professor e pesquisador nas áreas de neurociência e biologia. Ingressante tardio na academia — trabalhou com teatro durante vinte anos —, Firestein graduou-se quando completou quarenta anos de idade. Foi chefe do departamento de ciências biológicas na Universidade de Columbia, em Nova York, e hoje lidera laboratório de pesquisa que investiga o sistema olfativo dos animais vertebrados. É autor de Failure: Why Science is So Successful (2015). No Brasil, estreia com a publicação de Ignorância (2019) — lançado em 2012 nos Estados Unidos. Dedicado à divulgação científica, é conselheiro do programa de divulgação da Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Em 2011, foi agraciado com o prêmio Lenfest de professor notável por sua atuação na Universidade de Columbia.