HIST 210: History of Modern Science: Home

To be human is to wonder. The impulse to ask questions is hardwired into our DNA, and for 300 millennia, people have been searching for answers. In this book, author Mary Cruse takes readers on a fascinating journey through the evolution of this discipline in its many strands. Throughout the centuries, our conception of what constitutes 'science' has developed and expanded, from ancient natural philosophers and medieval alchemists to Renaissance scholars and Enlightenment reformers. Modern science evokes images of bubbling test tubes and spotless lab coats, but this limited perception inhibits us in truly understanding the progress of science throughout history. Cruse does not fall into this trap. Learn about the development of agricultural tools, the study of weather patterns, mapmaking, mathematics and modern geology. Delve into the cutting-edge science of the 21st century: genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, sustainable energy projects, and more. Filled with useful timelines, fun facts, and profiles of key characters, this book is a fascinating read.

Nikola Tesla was one of the greatest electrical inventors who ever lived. For years, the engineering genius was relegated to relative obscurity, his contributions to humanity (we are told) obscured by a number of 19th-century inventors and industrialists who took credit for his work or stole his patents outright. In recent years, the historical record has been 'corrected' and Tesla has been restored to his rightful place among historical luminaries like Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Gugliemo Marconi. Most biographies repeat the familiar account of Tesla's life, including his invention of alternating current, his falling out with Edison, how he lost billions in patent royalties to Westinghouse, and his fight to prove that Marconi stole 13 of his patents to 'invent' radio. But, what really happened? Consider this: everything you think you know about Nikola Tesla is wrong. Newly uncovered information proves that the popular account of Tesla's life is itself very flawed. In this book, author Christopher Cooper sets out to prove that the conventional story not only oversimplifies history, it denies credit to some of the true inventors behind many of the groundbreaking technologies now attributed to Tesla, and perpetuates a misunderstanding about the process of innovation itself. Are you positive that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone? Are you sure the Wright Brothers were the first in flight? Think again! With a provocative foreward by Tesla biographer Marc. J. Seifer, this book is one of the first to set the record straight, tracing the origin of some of the greatest electrical inventions to a coterie of colorful characters that conventional history has all but forgotten.