Science in the Twentieth Century: A Social-Intellectual Survey

In the stimulating and challenging 18-hour lecture series Science in the Twentieth Century: A Social-Intellectual Survey, one of The Teaching Company's "Great Courses," Professor Steven L. Goldman of Lehigh University argues persuasively that science in the 20th century was not so much the result of a revolution in thinking as an evolution of ideas already firmly planted in the 19th, illustrating his thesis with a survey of how 19th-century "core" concepts--related to atoms, fields, structure, non-Euclidean geometry, symbolic logic, light, probability and statistics, and evolution itself--played significant roles in 20th century scientific discoveries. Goldman is a personable and quietly enthusiastic presenter who not only breaks down complex topics (such as the particle and wave theories of light, fission and fusion, and differential geometry) into manageable bites, but also introduces viewers to a wide range of influential figures--more notable (Einstein, Freud, Keynes) and less (Paul Berg, Vannevar Bush, David Hilbert)--wrapping up his grand survey with a look at the intersection of contemporary science with culture, society, and mind. Featuring 36 lectures spread over nine videocassettes or six discs, each set comes with a course book containing the full transcript, overview, outline, glossary, suggested bibliography, and more. Sure to be a welcome addition for academic libraries (to supplement their own regular or distance ed courses, or for students who want to explore topics not offered by their local institution), this is also perfect for public libraries serving adult learners. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)