内容简介
一部扣人心弦、不为人知的暗黑科学史。
科学是世界上一股向善的力量——至少通常是这样。但有时，当痴迷的心魔控制了科学家，他们会把一种崇高的追求扭曲成险恶的东西。在这种魔咒下，知识不是一切，它是唯一的东西——无论付出什么代价。畅销书作家、科普故事大王山姆·基恩（Sam Kean）讲述了一系列真实的故事，当不受控的野心驱使原本理性的男人和女人以科学的名义越界，他们不但践踏了道德，甚至还会犯下罪行。
《冰锥外科医生》巧妙地引导读者穿越两千年的历史，将科学发现的戏剧性与真实犯罪故事的非法快感融合在一起：野蛮残忍的冰锥疗法竟获得了诺贝尔奖？成就卓著的博物学家还是个专业海盗？爱迪生团队为了诋毁对手不惜电死大象？科学不只光明与正义，多少欺诈、破坏、谋杀和其他卑鄙行为，也假之以行。而且，科学的罪孽并不都安全地埋葬在过去，其中许多仍然影响着我们得今天。
基恩以其标志性的机智和精确性表明，虽然科学在世界上利大于弊，但流氓科学家确实存在，当我们为了进步而牺牲道德时，我们往往最终两手皆空。
作者简介
山姆·基恩（Sam Kean）
小时候花了数年时间从破碎的温度计中收集水银，现在他是华盛顿特区的一名作家。
他的故事曾出现在《美国最佳科学与自然写作》、《大西洋月刊》、《纽约时报》、Slate和Psychology Today等节目，他的作品还出现在“Radiolab”、NPR的“All Things Thought”和“Science Friday”等节目中。
他的书《元素的盛宴》和《小提琴家的大拇指》都是畅销书，并且都被评为亚马逊年度“前五名”科学书籍。《元素的盛宴》获得英国皇家学会科学图书奖，而《小提琴家的拇指》和《决斗神经外科医生》则被评为国际笔会的科学写作奖。
Content introduction
A gripping, untold history of dark science.
Science is a force for good in the world - or at least it usually is. But sometimes, when the demons of obsession take hold of scientists, they twist a noble pursuit into something sinister. Under this spell, knowledge is not everything, it is the only thing - whatever the cost. Bestselling author and popular science story king Sam Kean tells a series of true stories about how, when uncontrolled ambition drives otherwise rational men and women to cross boundaries in the name of science, they not only violate morality but even commit crimes.
The Ice Pick Surgeon deftly guides readers through 2,000 years of history, blending the drama of scientific discovery with the illicit thrill of true-crime stories: A Nobel Prize for a brutal ice pick cure? An accomplished naturalist or a professional pirate? Team Edison electrocuted elephants to discredit their opponents? Science is not only about light and justice, but also about fraud, destruction, murder, and other despicable acts. Moreover, the SINS of science are not all safely buried in the past, and many of them still affect us today.
With his trademark wit and precision, Keane shows that while science does more good than harm in the world, rogue scientists do exist, and that when we sacrifice morality for progress, we often end up empty-handed.
About the author
Sam Kean
After spending years collecting mercury from broken thermometers as a child, he is now a writer in Washington, DC.
His stories have appeared in Best American Science and Nature Writing, The Atlantic, The New York Times, Slate, and Psychology Today, His work has also appeared on "Radiolab," NPR's "All Things Thought" and "Science Friday," among other shows.
His books "A Feast of the Elements" and "The Violinist's Thumb" are bestsellers, and both were named Amazon's "Top five" science books of the year. "A Feast of the Elements" won the Royal Society Science Book Award, while "The Violinist's Thumb" and "The Dueling Neurosurgeon" were named PEN International's Science writing awards.
热门标签
书单推荐