Postmodern Encounter Series -- Einstein and the Birth of Big Science

Author: (English) Peter Kors/ Li Xingmin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Many scientists today are playing a dangerous game with the truth. They push their research results selectively to the media in order to share a piece of the pie in the ruthless competition for scarce research funding. While this may bring short-term benefits, in the long run, it can only worsen the impact on the relationship between science and society. The image of a scientist as a pastor can only lead to alienation and further erode public respect. Science is not religion, and it should not pretend to be so. Albert Einstein is an undeniable genius whose mathematical insights revolutionized cosmology. He stands shoulder to shoulder with other giants in physics—Copernicus, Galileo, Newton—but is even more important than any of them, instantly recognizable. Einstein is a popular totem, a Marilyn Monroe of science. How did this happen? When Einstein's ideas were still confined to the arcane realms of a few experts, what could have made him an idol to the world? The answer lies in a cultural phenomenon—the birth of big science. The 20th century witnessed unprecedented advances in science and technology. However, the pursuit of knowledge led scientists into realms far removed from everyday experience, requiring expensive experimental equipment to reach them. The realm of science that is farthest reachable is the domain of big science. This little book not only introduces the key ideas of Einstein but also provides fascinating insights into the sociological conflicts between big science and mass culture, conflicts that are as real today as they were in Einstein's time.