History of Science

Science makes the modern world go round, driving the economy, shaping politics, and influencing the food we eat, the films we watch, and the authorities we trust. Although we are surrounded by its triumphs, science’s past is littered with disagreements, doubts, and misfires, while new developments are increasingly mired in controversy.

In History of Science, Sean Johnston weaves together intellectual history, philosophy, and social studies to offer a unique appraisal of scientific progress – taking us from the phenomena faced by our earliest ancestors, right up to debates surrounding climate change predictions, the rise of commercial science, and the ethics of biotechnology.