Mary Gribbin

This book distills the history of science into 100 epic experiments that have fueled our understanding of Earth and the universe beyond. 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. As the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman said, "If it disagrees with experiment, it is wrong." From the discovery...

What if Newton had never lived? A compelling dual biography argues that Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley easily could have filled the giant's shoes-and deserve credit for the birth of modern science. Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley, whose place in history has been overshadowed by the giant figure of Newton, were pioneering scientists within their own right, and instrumental in establishing the Royal Society. Although Newton is widely regarded as one...