Why Science?

by R. Stephen White

Overview

The book Why Science? is written for the millions of science teachers, students and the public who want evidence for their views. Society must make important choices in health and medicine, the environment, energy sources, the courts and in risk and safety. These issues and many other problems facing us require knowledge of science for their solution. Polls show that nearly half of the US population believes the myths, superstition and paranormal delivered by TV and the press. Despite the great advances of science in the 20th century, pseudoscience and antiscience are still around--even growing in some of the greatest universities and institutions in the land.

Why Science? contains resource material for science teachers at all levels. Students in advanced high school science courses and in community and four-year collegs and universities taking campus-wide enrichment science courses will find the book compelling. And the public finally has a dependable science guide on the issues. The book is constructed around the "Science Views" columns that have appeared in the Santa Barbara, California, News Press.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781560727484
Publisher:	Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated
Publication date:	12/01/1999
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	xi
	About the Author	xiii
	Introduction	xv
	Public Worries	xvi
	Sometimes Forgotten Advances in Science and Technology	xix
	The Need for Informed Citizens	xxiv
	The "Science Views" Columns	xxv
Chapter I	Superstition and the Paranormal	1
1.	UFOs, Social Security and Generation X	2
2.	Alien Abductions	5
3.	Astrology	7
4.	Astral Projection	9
5.	Psychics	11
6.	Magicians, Randi and Geller	14
7.	The Chupacabras	16
8.	The Shroud of Turin	18
9.	Noah's Ark	20
Chapter II	Science and Antiscience	23
1.	Introduction to "Science Views"	26
2.	Science and the Public	28
3.	The Metric System	30
4.	Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History	32
5.	The Smithsonian Museum	34
6.	Higher Superstition	36
7.	The Culture Wars	38
8.	Pathological Science	40
9.	Science and Technology by Mandate	42
10.	Forensic Use of DNA	44
11.	Gambling	46
Chapter III	Medical Science	49
	Brief History of Medicine	49
	Alternative Medicine	54
1.	Fluoridation	59
2.	Aging	61
3.	Breast Implants	63
4.	Repressed Memories	65
5.	Does HIV cause Aids?	67
6.	Medical Research with Animals	69
7.	The Mad Cow Disease	71
8.	Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer	73
9.	Nuclear Medicine	75
10.	Traditional Chinese Medicine	77
Chapter IV	The Environment	79
	Formation of the Earth	82
	The Weather	85
	Evolution of Plants and Animals	87
	Environmental Policy	89
1.	Population Limits	93
2.	Zero Risk Pesticide Policy	95
3.	Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in Food	97
4.	The Asbestos Hazard	99
5.	The Alar False Alarm	101
6.	The Dioxin Debate	103
7.	Credibility of Asteroid and Air Pollution Risks	105
8.	The Endangered Species Act	107
9.	Telescopes and Red Squirrels	109
10.	Low Level Radioactive Waste	112
11.	The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository	113
12.	Transport of Spent Nuclear Reactor Fuel	116
Chapter V	Energy Science	119
	Deregulation of Electric Power	120
	Alternative Energy Myths	121
	Nuclear Energy	123
	A Reality Check on Battery-Electric Vehicles	127
	Thermonuclear Fusion	128
1.	Electrical Power	131
2.	Coal Power	133
3.	Petroleum	135
4.	Natural Gas	137
5.	Nuclear Reactor Fission Power	139
6.	Solar Power	141
7.	Solar Photovoltaic Power	143
8.	Wind Power	144
9.	Geothermal Power	147
10.	Biomass Production of Energy	149
11.	Fuel Cells	151
12.	Thermonuclear Fusion Power	153
13.	Cold Fusion	155
14.	Battery-Electric Vehicles	158
Chapter VI	Basic and Applied Science	161
	The Origin of the Universe	162
	Superconductivity	165
	The Golden Age of American Science	167
	Is American Science in Decline?	170
1.	The Big Bang Origin of the Universe	172
2.	The End of the World	175
3.	The Structure of Matter	177
4.	Antimatter Atoms	179
5.	Molecule of the Year	181
6.	The Earth's Atmosphere	183
7.	Earthquakes and Continental Drift	185
8.	Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection	187
9.	The Dinosaurs' Demise	189
10.	Molecular Adam and Mitochondrial Eve	191
11.	Genetic Cloning	193
12.	Was Ancient Life found from Mars?	195
13.	Agricultural Sciences	197
14.	The Rad Lab at Ucb	199
15.	The 1995 Nobel Prizes in the Sciences	201
16.	Space Travel	203
Chapter VII	Science Education	207
	The Public's Views	207
	Education	209
	The Media	212
	References	217
	Index	225

Editorial Reviews

Despite the great advances of science in the 20th century, pseudoscience and antiscience are still around, even in some of the universities. Constructed around the author's "Science Views" press columns written for those who want evidence for their views, seven chapters discuss superstition and the paranormal; science and antiscience; medical, energy, and basic and applied science; the environment; and finally, science education. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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