Fragments of science

About this book

For decades, John Tyndall's Fragments of Science was a fixture on the shelves of anyone who cared about the power and beauty of scientific thought. But its Victorian prose has become a barrier. This edition clears that obstacle. Here are Tyndall's most celebrated lectures and essays—on the scientific use of the imagination, the physical basis of life, the nature of matter and force, and the proper relation between science and theology—rendered into flowing, contemporary English without loss of substance or style. Tyndall was not merely a physicist; he was a philosopher of science who insisted that wonder and evidence could walk hand in hand. Whether he is dissecting the structure of a snowflake or defending the freedom of inquiry against dogma, he writes with a clarity that still startles. This volume includes a biographical introduction, a glossary of names and terms, key passages to remember, and notes on how to approach Tyndall's work today. Part of The Modern Wisdom Library.