Congratulations to Dr. Melanie Good and Dr. Eric Swanson on publishing "Science and Society: Understanding Scientific Methodology, Energy, Climate, and Sustainability" this month!
This undergraduate textbook educates non-science majors—our future policy makers—on how science works, the rules that underpin our existence, our impact on nature, and nature's impact on us. The book provides a concise, historically based, non-mathematical treatment of modern physics relevant to societal issues. It challenges readers to examine the problems we face (and their own beliefs) in light of the scientific method.
In this new edition, a large volume of material has been revised and updated, including expanded discussions on climate change, electric vehicles, and future energy sources. It contains additional new end-of-chapter problems as well as an interactive module that seeks to reduce endorsement of pseudoscience and conspiratorial beliefs by promoting critical thinking, scientific literacy, and effective self-reflection. With a narrative structure, Science and Society, 2nd Edition explains the scientific process and the power it brings to dealing with the natural world. The reader will gain a deeper understanding of scientific results reported by the media, and thus the tools to develop a rational, fact-based assessment of energy and resource policy.
The second edition tackles updated issues such as the societal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the emergence of artificial intelligence. The new chapter on pseudoscience expands the discussion to dissect conspiracy theories and the cognitive biases that lead to endorsement of scientifically unsupported beliefs. In addition, woven throughout the new edition, are deeper threads on the histories of scientists from marginalized backgrounds, which serves to create a more diverse and multi-faceted fabric of the contributions of the many pioneers of scientific discovery.
Praise for Science and Society:
"Anyone who thinks society can be managed without science should think again, or better: read this book. The authors explain how science permeates society, and with simple examples of the scientific process they show its special power in dealing with the natural world. This is a must read for the world's seven billion scientists."
F.E. Close, OBE, Oxford University, author of, among others, "Half-Life: The Divided Life of Bruno Pontecorvo, Physicist or Spy", "The Infinity Puzzle", and "Neutrino"
Find the link to the book here
