
The Golem
What You Should Know about Science
Cambridge University Press
2nd Edition
Published on 17. September 1998
Book
Paperback/Softback
212 pages
978-0-521-64550-8 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Description
What is the golem? In Jewish mythology the Golem is an effigy or image brought to life. While not evil, it is a strong, clumsy and incomplete servant. Through a series of case studies, ranging from relativity and cold fusion to memory in worms and the sex lives of lizards, Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch debunk the traditional view that science is the straightforward result of competent theorization, observation and experimentation. Scientific certainty is the interpretation of ambiguous results. The very well received first edition generated much debate, reflected in a substantial new Afterword in this new edition, which seeks to place the book in what have become known as 'the science wars'.
Reviews / Votes
'A very readable account.' New Scientist ' .. it succeeds extraordinarily well in this task of portraying and assessing the real fabric of scientific research, based on the insights of modern scholarship.' Bernard Dixon, former editor of New ScientistMore details
Series
Edition
2nd Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Edition type
Revised edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
2 Tables, unspecified; 2 Halftones, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 139 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
266 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-64550-8 (9780521645508)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions

Book
03/2012
2nd Edition
Cambridge University Press
€20.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
Previous edition

Book
09/1994
Cambridge University Press
€8.61
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Content
Introduction: the golem; 1. Edible knowledge: the chemical transfer of memory; 2. Two experiments that 'proved' the theory of relativity; 3. The sun in a test tube: the story of cold fusion; 4. The germs of dissent: Louis Pasteur and the origins of life; 5. A new window on the universe: the non-detection of gravitational radiation; 6. The sex life of the whiptail lizard; 7. Set the controls for the heart of the sun: the strange story of the missing solar neutrinos; Conclusion: putting the golem to work; Afterword; References and further reading; Index.