Science

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.

Reviews

Praise for John and Mary Gribbin:

‘Immensely readable’ The Times

‘Mary and John Gribbin write with great clarity’ Guardian

‘[John] Gribbin is a distinguished astronomer, and one of the finest and most prolific writers of popular science around’ Spectator

About the author

John Gribbin gained a PhD from the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge (then under the leadership of Fred Hoyle), before working as a science journalist for Nature and later New Scientist. Mary Gribbin is a teacher with a special gift for communicating difficult concepts, and she is a previous winner of the TES Junior Information Book Award. They have co-written several titles for adults and children. John has written many bestselling popular science books, including Erwin Schrödinger and the Quantum Revolution, In Search of the Multiverse and The Universe: A Biography. John and Mary are both Visiting Fellows at the University of Sussex.