This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress (Edge Question Series)

This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress (Edge Question Series)

by JohnBrockman (Author)

Synopsis

The bestselling editor of This Explains Everything brings together 175 of the world's most brilliant minds to tackle Edge.org's 2014 question: What scientific idea has become a relic blocking human progress?

Each year, John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org- The world's smartest website (The Guardian)-challenges some of the world's greatest scientists, artists, and philosophers to answer a provocative question crucial to our time. In 2014 he asked 175 brilliant minds to ponder: What scientific idea needs to be put aside in order to make room for new ideas to advance? The answers are as surprising as they are illuminating. In :

  • Steven Pinker dismantles the working theory of human behavior
  • Richard Dawkins renounces essentialism
  • Sherry Turkle reevaluates our expectations of artificial intelligence
  • Geoffrey West challenges the concept of a Theory of Everything
  • Andrei Linde suggests that our universe and its laws may not be as unique as we think
  • Martin Rees explains why scientific understanding is a limitless goal
  • Nina Jablonski argues to rid ourselves of the concept of race
  • Alan Guth rethinks the origins of the universe
  • Hans Ulrich Obrist warns against glorifying unlimited economic growth
  • and much more.

Profound, engaging, thoughtful, and groundbreaking, This Idea Must Die will change your perceptions and understanding of our world today . . . and tomorrow.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 592
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: 26 Mar 2015

ISBN 10: 0062374346
ISBN 13: 9780062374349

Media Reviews
Praise for This Idea Must Die: Take a look. No matter who you are, you are bound to find something that will drive you crazy. -- New York Times
Garrulous and argumentative. ... Brockman's formula is tried and tested. Better still, it shows no sign of getting old. -- New Scientist
This Idea Must Die is an excellent gathering of thoughts, rants and lamentations to add to your book list. -- Forbes
Discern[s] the zeitgeist of ideas with which some of our era's greatest minds are tussling. ... Profound. ... Provocative. ... Mind-stretching. -- Brain Pickings
Fascinating. ... Thought-provoking. -- Science News
A fascinating smorgasbord of 175 short essays about every field and facet of research. -- Science News
Brockman succeeds in presenting scientific work that will appeal to a variety of readers, no matter their background. -- Publishers Weekly
Praise for Edge: Physics, statistics, robotics, linguistics, medicine-all are zestfully scrutinized in this exuberant, mind-blowing gathering of innovative thinkers. -- Booklist
An epicenter of bleeding-edge insight across science, technology, and beyond. -- Atlantic Monthly
The brightest minds in the known universe. -- Vanity Fair
A forum for the world's most brilliant minds. -- The Observer (UK)
A provocative and informative compilation. -- Library Journal
Author Bio
The publisher of the online science salon Edge.org, John Brockman is the editor of Know This, This Idea Must Die, This Explains Everything, This Will Make You Smarter, and other volumes.