Science
Science is still the great intellectual adventure, but now it is also seen as an instrument of profit, power and privilege. Wrongly used, it might yet make the 21st century our last. To make sense of this we need to let go of old ideas and assumptions.
In this No-Nonsense Guide Jerome Ravetz introduces a new way of thinking about science, moving away from simplistic ideas of perfect certainty and objectivity. We must accept uncertainty and ignorance in the field as well as the need for citizens’ participation in the policies involving science.
The book gives a fresh look at science’s history, with a guide to the key theories, and concludes with a questionnaire that enables anyone engaged in science to locate themselves in the bigger picture.
- Science now
- How science changed reality
- Second thoughts from history
- Little Science, Big Science, Mega Science
- Scientific objectivity
- Uncertainty
- Science and democracy
- People's science
- Science, its future and you
About the author: Jerry Ravetz was formerly Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at Leeds University. He is the author of the classic study, Scientific Knowledge and its Social Problems, among other publications. He helped to found the Council for Science and Society, and is a pioneer in the area of science and safety. He is now an independent scholar and self-employed consultant, working mainly on problems of the management of uncertainty in risks and environmental issues.
- Format
- Paperback
- Dimensions
- 180 x 110mm
- Page extent
- 144 pages
- Publication date
- September 2006
- ISBN-13
- 978-1-904456-46-9
Publications details
Reviews
'The No-Nonsense Guide to Science gives far the best easy-accessible critical account of today's techno-science. Hence I strongly recommend the book, and forsee that it will give birth to a new wave of critical science studies that recognizes that philsophers of science have so far only interpreted science in certain ways; the point is to change it!'
Journal of Science Studies
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
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