Exploring the Secrets of the Aurora: 278 (Astrophysics and Space Science Library) - Hardcover

Akasofu, Syun Ichi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1402006853 ISBN 13: 9781402006852

Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002

Synopsis

Prominent progress in science is inevitably associated with controversies. Thus, young researchers, in particular, have to learn how to persevere during the period of controversy and struggle for acceptance. Unfortunately, the skills needed are not taught in textbooks or monographs, which mostly describe the consensus of contemporary experts. This book, which is based on my own experiences as a scientist, describes the history of the progress made in auroral science and magnetospheric physics by providing examples of ideas, controversies, struggles, acceptance, and success in some instances. Although no general methodology (if any exists) is mentioned, I hope that the reader will learn about the history of progress in auroral science and examples (right or wrong) of dealing with the controversies.

About this title

Review

"Besides space physicists, the book will be interesting to historians and sociologists of science. Historians, because it is a history of an important era of space physics seen from the inside. Sociologists, because Akasofu has strong opinions about the interactions among scientists. Finally, this is a collector's book. It has a handsome binding with a nice picture of an aurora on the cover. It is unique in its mix of science, history, philosophy and exhortation. It is the kind of book that will still beguile a tug off the library shelf 100 years from now."
(EOS, 84:41 (October 2003)

From the Back Cover

This new edition of Exploring the Secrets of the Aurora is based on the author's own experiences as a scientist. It describes the history of progress made in auroral science and magnetospheric physics by providing examples of ideas, controversies, struggles, acceptance, and success.

Although no general methodologies are mentioned, the hope is that the reader will learn about the history of progress in auroral science and examples of dealing with the many controversies. This book aims to help young scientific researchers learn how to persevere during periods of controversy and struggles for acceptance.

In this second edition, by utilizing multiple examples, Akasofu is successful in demonstrating the importance and usefulness of Synthesis.

"Probably the book's most valuable contribution to the history of space physics is precisely the narration of the discovery of substorms.---The book has special features.---Akasofu's coverage of the history of pre-space age solar-terrestrial relations is the most comprehensive among books on the subject known to me.---It is a unique mix of science, history, philosophy, and exhortation."

-George Siscoe, Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA

Edition details

• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1402006853
• ISBN 13: 9781402006852
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 273