Science: A History in 100 Experiments

Science: A History in 100 Experiments
John Gribbin

Mary Gribbin

A history of science distilled into 100 notable experiments – epic moments that have fuelled our understanding of Earth and the Universe beyond.The history of science is a fascinating and long one, covering thousands of years of history. The development of scientific experiments involves some of the most enlightened cultures in history, as well as some great scientists, philosophers and theologians. As the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman said, ‘If it disagrees with experiment, it is wrong’, the simplest summary of what science is all about. And science is nothing without experiments.Everything in the scientific world view is based on experiment, including observations of phenomena predicted by theories and hypotheses, such as the bending of light as it goes past the Sun. From the discovery of microscopic worlds to weighing the Earth, from making electricity to the accelerating Universe and gravitational waves, this stunning book by renowned science writers John and Mary Gribbin tells the fascinating history of science through the stories of 100 groundbreaking experiments.

COPYRIGHT (#ulink_81ecf09c-6663-5196-ba88-ea89a55ccb76)

William Collins

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This eBook first published in Great Britain by William Collins in 2016

Text © John and Mary Gribbin 2016

Photographs © individual copyright holders

John and Mary Gribbin assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work

Edited by Patricia Briggs

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins

Source ISBN: 978-0-00-814560-6

Ebook Edition © October 2016 ISBN: 9780008145613

Version: 2016-09-22

CONTENTS

COVER (#u5ac8b795-ec54-5977-b5a6-d2805c8f58cc)

TITLE PAGE (#u1a9c9512-9a78-57e4-a1cc-bc94ffe70fe4)

COPYRIGHT (#ulink_006612c0-20c0-5b54-9246-e45fd7d49883)

INTRODUCTION (#ulink_bb6252a2-653d-57d9-ac80-c4bed284f189)

1 THE UPWARD THRUST OF WATER (#litres_trial_promo)

2 MEASURING THE DIAMETER OF THE EARTH (#litres_trial_promo)

3 THE EYE AS A PINHOLE CAMERA (#litres_trial_promo)

4 DISSECTING THE HUMAN BODY (#litres_trial_promo)

5 MEASURING THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE EARTH (#litres_trial_promo)

6 MEASURING INERTIA (#litres_trial_promo)

7 CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD (#litres_trial_promo)

8 WEIGHING THE ATMOSPHERE (#litres_trial_promo)

9 RESISTING THE SQUEEZE (#litres_trial_promo)

10 REVEALING THE MICROSCOPIC WORLD (#litres_trial_promo)

11 ALL THE COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW (#litres_trial_promo)

12 THE SPEED OF LIGHT IS FINITE (#litres_trial_promo)

13 VITAMIN AT SEA (#litres_trial_promo)

14 CONDUCTING THE LIGHTNING (#litres_trial_promo)

15 THE HEAT OF ICE (#litres_trial_promo)

16 STEAMING AHEAD (#litres_trial_promo)

17 BREATHING PLANTS AND PURE AIR (#litres_trial_promo)

18 OPENING UP THE SOLAR SYSTEM (#litres_trial_promo)

19 ANIMAL HEAT, BUT NO ANIMAL MAGIC (#litres_trial_promo)

20 TWITCHING FROGS AND ELECTRIC PILES (#litres_trial_promo)

21 WEIGHING THE EARTH (#litres_trial_promo)

22 BORING EXPERIMENTS ON HEAT (#litres_trial_promo)

23 THE FIRST VACCINE (#litres_trial_promo)

24 FEELING INVISIBLE LIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

25 COSMIC RUBBLE (#litres_trial_promo)

26 FLYING HIGH WITH HYDROGEN (#litres_trial_promo)