From the Publisher
Praise for This Idea Must Die: “Take a look. No matter who you are, you are bound to find something that will drive you crazy.” — New York Times
“Garrulous and argumentative. ... Brockman’s formula is tried and tested. Better still, it shows no sign of getting old.” — New Scientist
“This Idea Must Die is an excellent gathering of thoughts, rants and lamentations to add to your book list.” — Forbes
“Discern[s] the zeitgeist of ideas with which some of our era’s greatest minds are tussling. ... Profound. ... Provocative. ... Mind-stretching.” — Brain Pickings
“Fascinating. ... Thought-provoking.” — Science News
“A fascinating smorgasbord of 175 short essays about every field and facet of research.” — Science News
“Brockman succeeds in presenting scientific work that will appeal to a variety of readers, no matter their background.” — Publishers Weekly
Praise for Edge: “Physics, statistics, robotics, linguistics, medicine-all are zestfully scrutinized in this exuberant, mind-blowing gathering of innovative thinkers.” — Booklist
“An epicenter of bleeding-edge insight across science, technology, and beyond.” — Atlantic Monthly
“The brightest minds in the known universe.” — Vanity Fair
“A forum for the world’s most brilliant minds.” — The Observer (UK)
“A provocative and informative compilation.” — Library Journal
Atlantic Monthly
An epicenter of bleeding-edge insight across science, technology, and beyond.
Vanity Fair
The brightest minds in the known universe.
New York Times
Praise for This Idea Must Die: “Take a look. No matter who you are, you are bound to find something that will drive you crazy.
New Scientist
Garrulous and argumentative. ... Brockman’s formula is tried and tested. Better still, it shows no sign of getting old.
Brain Pickings
Discern[s] the zeitgeist of ideas with which some of our era’s greatest minds are tussling. ... Profound. ... Provocative. ... Mind-stretching.
Science News
Fascinating. ... Thought-provoking.
Booklist
Praise for Edge: “Physics, statistics, robotics, linguistics, medicine-all are zestfully scrutinized in this exuberant, mind-blowing gathering of innovative thinkers.
Forbes
This Idea Must Die is an excellent gathering of thoughts, rants and lamentations to add to your book list.
Booklist
Praise for Edge: “Physics, statistics, robotics, linguistics, medicine-all are zestfully scrutinized in this exuberant, mind-blowing gathering of innovative thinkers.
The Observer (UK)
A forum for the world’s most brilliant minds.
New Scientist
Garrulous and argumentative. ... Brockman’s formula is tried and tested. Better still, it shows no sign of getting old.
From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY
"Physics, statistics, robotics, linguistics, medicine—all are zestfully scrutinized in this exuberant, mind-blowing gathering of innovative thinkers." —Booklist
New York Times Book Review
Offers a rare chance to discover big ideas before they hit the mainstream.
Kirkus Reviews
2014-11-18
New science has a difficult time. As physicist Max Planck said long ago, a good idea does not automatically replace a bad one; "opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it."In his latest compendium, Brockman (What Should We Be Worried About?: Real Scenarios that Keep Scientists Up at Night, 2014, etc.), publisher of the online science salon, Edge.com, asked 175 scientists, philosophers and intellectuals for ideas that have outlived their usefulness. At one to four pages, these are thoughtful essays that answer the question when they're not doing the opposite (defending the author's life's work) or wandering off to answer a different question. There are the usual suspects. Free will, Malthusianism, racism, IQ tests and religion do not do well. Mostly, the contributors hate simple explanations. Scientists studying the brain insist that it's not a computer, that the left-brain-right-brain dichotomy is silly, and that studying neurological activity won't explain consciousness because it's an illusion. Some ideas were never true: Rationality is not a major feature of human behavior. Some debates (nature vs. nurture) are nonsense. Occasionally, the news is good. Altruism is not necessarily self-sacrifice. We benefit as individuals, and most of us experience pleasure when we help others. Finally, novelist Ian McEwan disparages the book's theme, pointing out that you never know when you'll need an old idea. "It might rise again one day to enhance a perspective the present cannot imagine." No one wants to retire Shakespeare. Other contributors include A.C. Grayling, Richard Dawkins, John McWhorter, Sherry Turkle and Jared Diamond. Although they often beat dead or nonexistent horses, these ingenious cerebral tidbits will stimulate, provoke and confuse (in a good way) intelligent readers.
