Summary

Bringing the History of Science set's coverage into the 21st century, Science Frontiers: 1946-2001 discusses the most significant postwar scientific breakthroughs, the move toward increased specialization in all scientific branches, and the great use of computers in research. Looking carefully at the vast array of unsolved problems in science and the new questions that arise from each discovery, this insightful volume takes a comprehensive look at science during the second half of the 20th century and addresses the question, "Where is science heading in the 21st century?"

Coverage includes:

• Scientific trends in the late 20th century and the early years of the 21st century
• Key scientists of the time—including physicists, astronomers, geologists, planetologists, and astrophysicists in the physical sciences; and geneticists, environmentalists, botanists, zoologists, and others in the biological sciences
• The impact of warfare and the changes in our lives brought about by electronics and telecommunications
• Increasing tensions between science and society, science and religion, and science and "quackery" in the second half of the 20th century
• Recent developments in every area of science, from the human genome project to astrophysical breakthroughs
• Scientific challenges to diseases as well as the development of resistant diseases, increased human longevity, and issues surrounding cloning and genetic engineering.

Specifications

63 black-and-white photographs and 11 line illustrations. Index. Appendix. Bibliography. Glossary. Chronology. Sidebars.

About the Author(s)

Ray Spangenburg and Diane Kit Moser have been writing about science for more than 20 years. They are the authors of more than 50 books, including biographies of Niels Bohr and Wernher von Braun, Facts On File’s successful On the Shoulders of Giants set, and a popular series of books on astronomy and space exploration. Former journalists and editors, they have written for numerous magazines, including The Scientist, Science Digest, Space World, and Final Frontier.