The Milestones of Science: How We Came to Understand the Universe

If we were to judge humanity’s greatest accomplishments, science is almost certainly at the top of the list. The Milestones of Science is a collection of the most important and impressive breakthroughs in the history of science—as well as the scientists behind him—from the ancient world to what the future of science may hold. Comprised of riveting and readable stories from along the path of scientific discovery in the fields of astronomy, the Earth, matter, forces and energy, chemistry, life, genetics and DNA, the human body, disease, and science in the twenty-first century, author James D. Stein showcases the most noteworthy achievements of our species in a compelling and comprehensive way. This book highlights key observations, experiments, luminaries, and theories including: • The astronomical work of Galileo, Newton, and Einstein • Black holes, quasars, and pulsars • The theory of plate tectonics • Lord Kelvin’s theory of the age of the Earth • Planck’s quantum hypothesis • Faraday, Maxwell, and the theory of electromagnetism • Mendeleyev and the periodic table of elements • Darwin, Wallace, and the theory of evolution • Louis Pasteur and the germ theory • The modern discovery of the Higgs Boson particle … and many more. Concluding with a chapter that describes how the internet has changed the process of doing science in the twenty-first century, this essential book covers not just the science, but the people whose lifework helps us better understand the world around us.