The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn
I'd be very interested in a follow-up. Have there been any real paradigm shifts since?
Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
21–30 of 95 posts
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#22A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson tells the story of many important scientific discoveries.
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#23Coming of age in the Milky Way by Timothy Ferris
I loved this one because it covers a lot of ground and includes a lot of fascinating detail around the human factors and personalities involved.
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#24"The Eighth Day of Creation" is a second-hand account of the discovery of DNA and the molecular biotechnology revolution that followed. It's like watching da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa.
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#25Brief History of Mathematical Thought was good, as was Music Of The Primes.
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#26Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#27The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn
I'd be very interested in a follow-up. Have there been any real paradigm shifts since?
In neuroscience absolutely, from behaviorism, to the cognitive sciences, to modern techniques of every grain size. Psychology is still awash though in pseudoscience.
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#28The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester isn't so much a survey of fundamental scientific advancements, but precision engineering goes hand in hand with modern developments in physics, chemistry, microbiology, and medicine. Simply skimming the index of that book, or Starrett's catalogues, can provide some hints about things that might be overlooked in a general history of (modern) science. Scientific ideas come from the famous scientists, but scientific progress relies on experimental apparatus, which require tools. Actual products people can use also require tools to build. Those tools, and where and when they came from, are rarely emphasized in scientific histories.
There's also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Inventors_Hal...
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#29Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#30You have to like his writing style but bill Bryson’s short history of everything. James burke’s day the universe changed is thought provoking and bronowski’s ascent of man is also good. Timothy Ferris (not that one) and John gribbin have also trod this area.
Came here to suggest Bill Bryson's Short History of Everything. It covers a lot of less top-of-mind concepts, like he delves into air-balloons, artificial cloud making, moss collections, geological history, botany, and all manner of fields.
I also recommend this - he walks through how we know what we know across many fields of science and it’s highly informative and entertaining throughout