From Here to Infinity – A Vision for the Future of Science - Hardcover

Rees, Martin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393063070 ISBN 13: 9780393063073

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012

Synopsis

In this riveting, eye-opening new book, preeminent astrophysicist Martin Rees charts out the future of science, offering a compelling vision of how scientists and laypeople can work together to address the most urgent issues of our era--including climate change and energy concerns, population growth, and epidemiological threats.

Scientific research is crucial to a growing number of policy decisions, but in our public discussions, ideology and indignation all too often threaten to drown out research and evidence. To shape debates over health care, energy policy, space travel, and other vital issues, ordinary citizens must engage directly with research rather than relying on pundits' and politicians' interpretations. Otherwise, fringe opinions that have been discredited in the scientific community can take hold in the public imagination. At the same time, scientists must understand their roles as communicators and ambassadors as well as researchers.

Rees not only diagnoses this central problem but also explains how scientists and the general public can deploy a global, long-term perspective to address the new challenges we face. In the process, he reveals critical shortcomings in our current system--for example, the tendency to be overly anxious about minor hazards while underrating the risk of potential catastrophes. Offering a strikingly clear portrait of the future of science, Rees tackles such diverse topics as the human brain, the possibility that humans will colonize other planets, and the existence of extraterrestrial life in order to distinguish between what scientists can hope to discover and what will always lie beyond our grasp.

A fresh perspective on science's significance and potential, From Here to Infinity will inspire and enlighten.

About this title

About the Author

Martin Rees is a leading cosmologist and astrophysicist. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge from 2004 to 2012, is a member of the House of Lords, and former president of the Royal Society. He lives in Cambridge, England.

Edition details

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0393063070
• ISBN 13: 9780393063073
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144