Postmodern---Einstein and the Birth of Big Science

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Features: Many scientists today are playing a dangerous game with truth, pushing their research results one-sidedly to the media to share the pie in the ruthless competition for scarce research funding. This may bring short-term benefits, but in the long run, the impact on the relationship between science and society can only get worse. The image of a scientist as a pastor can only lead to alienation and further lose 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 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 esoteric realms of a few experts, what could make him an idol of 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, reachable only with expensive experimental equipment. The realm of science that is farthest from reach is the domain of big science. This little book not only introduces Einstein's key ideas 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.