Audiobook6 hours
Failure: Why Science Is So Successful
Written by Stuart Firestein
Narrated by Stephen Paul Aulridge, Jr.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
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 insiders 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.
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Reviews for Failure
Rating: 4.357142857142857 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
42 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Must read for anyone interested in science! This book is extremely thought-provoking and brings up some important concepts that must be dealt with. I wish this was required reading for all science educators, of which I am one.
3 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5book is quiet good ..must read by curious,aspirent folks!...n people who r into tech as well as science...bt always remember... failure is key to lock called success...by trial n error method!