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Segre offers some new perspectives into the lives, personalities and colleagues of two remarkable twentieth century scientists. Much of the rich tapestry of interactions and events that make this an interesting book are recently treated by other authors, but Ordinary Geniuses contains many special insights. Bohr's fondness of complementarity, and his view that "the existence of life must be considered as an elementary fact that cannot be explained" is surprising in its likeness to Pascual Jordan's beyond-physics force of vitalism (a little like the odd rationale offered more recently by Gould that it is reasonable to remove our very existence from the logic of science).
Delbruck's bottom-up physical examination of biological phenomena helps mark an important change in science, and presaged Schrodinger's book, What is Life. Similarly, Gamow's transition to cosmology achieved more than the foundations of big bang theory, his collegiate approach through Washington conferences, in the vein of Bohr's colloquia, stimulated many achievements in science. One is reminded, as the central characters bob from low to high in their careers, of the importance of philanthropic institutions like the Rockefeller Foundation in keeping the scientific ball rolling. `Geo' Gamow is well portrayed as the vital, hard-living, gregarious exponent of the "pioneering thing". Max Delbruck is the challenging, restless soul that some, other than this warm and respecting author, might term brash. This trait can certainly be forgiven considering Delbruck's almost naïve abhorrence of secrecy in science and his frequent admonition "Don't do fashionable research", refreshing perspectives that Segre repeats as sage advice.
The themes of the fundamental physical processes of life and of big bang cosmology are examined through the process of science. Linking the lives of two of these two pioneers proves to be a useful and memorable approach, if occasionally contrived or needy of hyperbole, and Segre's understanding of the science and the scientists make the project work.
- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Viking; First Edition edition (August 18, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0670022764
- ISBN-13: 978-0670022762
- Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.2 x 9.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 19 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#2,343,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2518 in Genetics (Books)
- #1603 in Molecular Biology (Books)
- #2195 in Cosmology (Books)
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