The Scientist as Rebel

[Dave Monroe]

The Scientist as Rebel
By Freeman Dyson

>From Galileo to today's amateur astronomers, scientists have been
rebels, writes Freeman Dyson. Like artists and poets, they are free
spirits who resist the restrictions their cultures impose on them. In
their pursuit of Nature's truths, they are guided as much by
imagination as by reason, and their greatest theories have the
uniqueness and beauty of great works of art.

Dyson argues that the best way to understand science is by
understanding those who practice it. He tells stories of scientists at
work, ranging from Isaac Newton's absorption in physics, alchemy,
theology, and politics, to Ernest Rutherford's discovery of the
structure of the atom, to Albert Einstein's stubborn hostility to the
idea of black holes. His descriptions of brilliant physicists like
Edward Teller and Richard Feynman are enlivened by his own
reminiscences of them. He looks with a skeptical eye at fashionable
scientific fads and fantasies, and speculates on the future of climate
prediction, genetic engineering, the colonization of space, and the
possibility that paranormal phenomena may exist yet not be
scientifically verifiable.

Dyson also looks beyond particular scientific questions to reflect on
broader philosophical issues, such as the limits of reductionism, the
morality of strategic bombing and nuclear weapons, the preservation of
the environment, and the relationship between science and religion.
These essays, by a distinguished physicist who is also a lovely
writer, offer informed insights into the history of science and fresh
perspectives on contentious current debates about science, ethics, and
faith.

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