Edited by New York Times
science writer Kolata, this volume celebrates writing that captures the excitement of scientific discovery and also its human consequences. Tyler Cabot's “The Theory of Everything†spotlights theoretical physicists awaiting “the greatest, most anticipated, most expensive experiment in the history of mankind.†By contrast, “Manifold Destiny†by Sylvia Nasar and David Gruber tells of Russian mathematician Grigory Perelman, who quietly announced a solution to one of the field's most elusive problems: Fermat's Last Theorem. Atul Gawande's “The Score†looks at the all-too-often painful history of obstetrics, and “Truth or Consequences†by Jennifer Couzin examines the bitter fallout for innocent graduate students and postdocs when their adviser is accused of falsifying data. Oliver Sacks's “Stereo Sue†explores the marvel of binocular vision, and Barry Yeoman's “Schweitzer's Dangerous Discovery†profiles unconventional paleontologist Mary Higby Schweitzer, discoverer of tissue remnants in dinosaur bones. These articles, culled mainly from general interest publications like the New Yorker
but also from science magazines like Discover
, showcase articles that show, in Kolata's words, how “[a]dvances in science have changed who we are as human beings and... are changing what we will become,†and readers will indeed find them as exciting as they are compelling. (Sept. 18)
