SCIENCES

Ignorance

How It Drives Science
by Stuart Firestein
Ignorance: How It Drives Science. Oxford Univ. May 2012. c.208p. index. ISBN 9780199828074. $21.95. SCI
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Who would've guessed that Einstein and Darwin were really just more ignorant than their peers? Firestein (biological science, Columbia Univ.) teaches a college course called Ignorance, and he here argues that science advances not through the accumulation of knowledge but by its ongoing (and sometimes circuitous) struggles against the unknown. Every new discovery presents new questions, and our collective ignorance grows at a pace exceeding our knowledge. The first six chapters examine ways this principle has worked historically and in the work of current researchers. The remaining half of the book is devoted to case studies that, however interesting, do not add much to the book's central thesis.
VERDICT Ignorance, it turns out, is really quite profound, and this is a good introduction to the subject. For a book the author states is intended to be read in one or two sittings, it raises issues worthy of much more thought. Prospective readers include students considering careers in science, fans of popular science, practicing scientists, and readers interested in the sociology and philosophy of science.
Reviewed by Gregg Sapp, Olympia, WA , Apr 15, 2012
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