CHANGING SCIENCE
SCIENCE AND ITS BACKGROUND, by H. D. Anthony; Macmillan, 10/6. HE ‘historical background of science '" has been of interest to many distinguished scientists. Conant, Whitehead and Eddington come readily to mind. It will be seen, therefore, that Anthony is on ground trodden by giants. It will be recognised at first reading that Anthony is not one of these. Nevertheless, his book has its uses. The careful tying of scientific discovery to the apparent history of human affairs, while sometimes a little too neat, does give something of the social background of science. ‘This is, unfortunately, a little coloured by some traces of religious bias. The principal use of the book would appear to be as a work of first reference, but unfortunately there is no guide to the original word, nor is there a list of further readings. The book suffers from too many names and a too great preoccupation with the remote past. For example, Roger Bacon freceives four pages and recent work in atomic research half a page. Occasionally triviality secures space also, as when more than a page is devoted to Watt’s machine for reproducing ‘sculpture. And we meet the hoary old miracle ce
that "Archimedes possibly employed ‘Burning glasses’ to set fire to the Roman ships." It is interesting to speculate upon the lens he employed.
J.W.McD.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19490819.2.22.3
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 530, 19 August 1949, Page 13
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223CHANGING SCIENCE New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 530, 19 August 1949, Page 13
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