Falling from grace. Joseph Glanvill: scientific witch-finder: Joseph Lannvill (1636-1680) ; The man who made underpants for frogs: Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799) ; Pettenkofer's poisoned chalice (Max von Pettenkofer (1818-1901) and Robert Koch (1843-1910) -- Eureka! revisited. Sir Isaac Newton and the meaning of light: Isaac Newton (1642-1727) ; Dr James Lind and the Navy's scourge (James Lind (1716-1794) ; The destruction of Ignaz Semmelweis: Ignaz Semmelweis (1818-1865) -- Heroes made to measure. Will the real Johann Weyer please stand up?: Johann Weyer (1515-1588) ; Philippe Pinel: the reforging of a chain-breaker: Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) -- Do-it-yourself heros. The first casualty of war: Sir Robert Watson-Watt (1892-1973) ; Rank hath its privileges: Selman A. Waksman (1888-1973).
Summary
In Leaps in the Dark, John Waller presents another collection of revelations from the world of science. He considers experiments in which scientists' perceptions were not perhaps as keen as they might have claimed in retrospect; he investigates the jealousy and opposition that scientific ideas can provoke; he celebrates the scientists who were wrong, but for very good reasons; and he demonstrates how national interest can affect scientists and their theories. The result is. an entertaining and highly readable re-examination of scientific discoveries and reputations from the Renaissance to the.
