Brilliant Blunders
Ratings4
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings4
Average rating3.8
We all make mistakes. Nobody's perfect. Not even some of the greatest geniuses in history, as Mario Livio tells us in this marvelous story of scientific error and breakthrough. Charles Darwin, William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), Linus Pauling, Fred Hoyle, and Albert Einstein were all brilliant scientists. Each made groundbreaking contributions to his field -- but each also stumbled badly. Darwin's theory of natural selection shouldn't have worked, according to the prevailing beliefs of his time. Not until Gregor Mendel's work was known would there be a mechanism to explain natural selection. How could Darwin be both wrong and right? Lord Kelvin, Britain's leading scientific intellect at the time, gravely miscalculated the age of the earth. Linus Pauling, the world's premier chemist (who would win the Nobel Prize in chemistry) constructed an erroneous model for DNA in his haste to beat the competition to publication. Astrophysicist Fred Hoyle dismissed the idea of a "big bang" origin to the universe (ironically, the caustic name he gave to this event endured long after his erroneous objections were disproven). And Albert Einstein, whose name is synonymous with genius, speculated incorrectly about the forces that hold the universe in equilibrium -- and that speculation opened the door to brilliant conceptual leaps. These five scientists expanded our knowledge of life on earth, the evolution of the earth itself, and the evolution of the universe, despite and because of their errors. As Mario Livio luminously explains, the scientific process advances through error. Mistakes are essential to progress. Brilliant Blunders is a singular tour through the world of science and scientific achievement -- and a wonderfully insightful examination of the psychology of five fascinating scientists. - Jacket flap.
Reviews with the most likes.
Nice overviews of the works of Einstein, Darwin, Kelvin and they ways errors can sneak into even the most brilliant of people.
The main lesson is to not get too attached to your ideas and insights. Later events and information can make them invalid and you should always be able to give up cherished believes in the face of evidence.
A complete read of historical science. Mario Livio thoroughly describes the personal and scientific lives of Darwin, Kelvin, Pauling, Hoyle and Einstein, among several other Nobel prize winners and scientists altogether. It involves reads on cosmology, chemistry, biology, astrophysics and quantum theory.
The book can be a harsh read at times, but fully documents history with pictures and written correspondence. Mario Livio takes a personal stance in why and how these geniuses failed in their line of work, which becomes a very interesting read.
Above all, the book teaches eager scientists to remain humble and find relevance in their work, as is well pointed out that scientific truths morph over time, despite their correctness to a given state-of-the-art.
