TUM Library

Contents Preface Acknowledgements About the Author Part I Introduction 1 What Is the Scientific Life? 2 What Is Physics? 3 What Is Chemistry? 4 What Is Biology? Part II Scientific Career Choices: What to Do When Faced With ... 5 Junctions 6 Crossroads 7 Roundabouts 8 Traffic Lights 9 Obstacles 10 Mountains Part III Examples of What Science Delivers or Will Deliver in the Future 11 With Physics We Can See Atoms 12 Acceleration of Chemical Reactions by Catalysts: A Wonder of the Natural World 13 Understanding Colour: Paintings, Camouflage, Clothes and Cosmetics 14 The Universe Exists and the Big Bang 'Start' of the Universe: The 'Red Shift' and the Expansion of the Universe 15 Is There Life Elsewhere in the Universe? The Role of the Square Kilometre Array Radio Astronomy Project 16 Predicting Climate Change on Earth Part IV Science and Mathematics: Across the Disciplines and Side by Side With Engineering 17 Science and Mathematics: Newtonian Dynamics and Molecular Dynamics 18 Science across the Disciplines: Curiosity Respects No Science Subject Boundaries 19 Science Side by Side with Engineering Part V Science Is a Process 20 Successes Involve Striving to Avoid Failures in Science Part VI A Trend: The Coming Together of the Sciences and the Social Sciences 21 The International Council for Science: A Very Important Event Appendices My Reviews of Books Regarding the Whats of a Scientific Life Appendix A1: The Social Function of Science, by J. D. Bernal Appendix A2: The Effective Scientist: A Handy Guide to a Successful Scientific Career, by Corey J. A. Bradshaw Appendix A3: Scientific Leadership, by J. W. (Hans) Niemantsverdriet and Jan-Karel Felderhof Appendix A4: Managing Science: Developing Your Research, Leadership and Management Skills, by K. Peach Appendix A5: Writing Chemistry Patents and Intellectual Property: a Practical Guide, by Francis J. Waller Appendix A6: The Scientific Method: Reflections from a Practitioner, by M. di Ventra

This book completes a scientific life trilogy of books following on from the Hows (i.e. skills) and the Whys is now the Whats of a scientific life. Starting with just what is science, then on to what is physics, what is chemistry and what is biology the book discusses career situations in terms of types of obstacles faced. There follow examples of what science has achieved as well as plans and opportunities. The contexts for science are dependencies of science on mathematics, how science cuts across disciplines, and the importance of engineering and computer software. What science is as a process is that it is distinctly successful in avoiding or dealing with failures. Most recently a radical change in what is science is the merger of the International Council of Scientific Unions and the International Social Sciences Council. Key Features: Dissects what is science and its contexts Provides wide ranging case studies of science and discovery based directly on the author's many decades in science The author has outstanding experience in mentoring and career development, and also in outreach activities for the public and students of all ages The world of science today involves a merger of 'the sciences' and the 'social sciences'

OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.