This book reveals that scientific logic is an extension of common, everyday logic and that it can and should be understood by everyone. Written by a practicing and successful scientist, it explores why questions arise in science and looks at how questions are tackled, what constitutes a valid answer, and why. The author does not bog the reader down in technical details or lists of facts to memorize. Instead, he places the questions in their historical and cultural context, ranging from the earliest intimations that the earth had a long history to current controversies, even describing the origins, challenges, and promises of modern molecular biology. He uses accessible examples, illustrations, and descriptions to address issues as complex as radiocarbon dating and how we know that DNA is a double helix. The book should prove enlightening to anyone who has been perplexed by the meaning, relevance, and moral or political implications of science.

Addresses the theoretical basis of science and is not "watered-down Biology" Explains the most complex issues in a clear and non-technical manner Emphasizes the accessibility of scientific thinking and the excitement of science even to students who have feared or disliked what they considered to be science Relates the development of scientific ideas to their cultural context Emphasizes process rather than data, and forces students to think and analyze Prepares students to cope with today's barrage of scientific information and argument Prepares students to comprehend and cope with the rapid changes that continually occur in science Presents without polemic the scientific case for belief in evolution and natural selection Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt
Chapter 1: The Origin of the Earth and of Species of Animals and Plants as Seen Before the Enlightenment.- Chapter 2: The Seashells on the Mountaintop.- Chapter 3: Aristotle's and Linnaeus' Classifications of Living Creatures.- Chapter 4: Natural Selection: the Second Half of Darwin's Hypothesis.- Chapter 5: Darwin's Hypothesis.- Chapter 6: The stuff of Inheritance: DNA, RNA, and Mutations.- Chapter 7: The Story of our Planet.- Chapter 8: Competition Among Species.- Chapter 9:The Importance of Disease.- Chapter 10: The Evolution of Humans