The Rise of Science : From Prehistory to the Far Future / Peter Shaver.

Intro; Preface; Contents; 1: Introduction; 2: A Brief History; 2.1 Out of the Mists of Time; 2.2 The Early Civilizations; 2.3 The `Greek Miracle;́ 2.4 In Transit; 2.5 Islamic Science; 2.6 Medieval Science; 2.7 The Scientific Revolution; 2.8 The Very Large; 2.9 The Very Small; 2.10 Light; 2.11 Life Itself; 2.12 Our Evolving Perspectives; 3: Roads to Knowledge; 3.1 Curiosity; 3.2 Imagination; 3.3 Determination; 3.4 Solitude and Teamwork; 3.5 Connections; 3.6 Cross-Pollination; 3.7 Timing; 3.8 Active and Passive Science; 3.9 Falsification and Verification; 3.10 Bandwagons and Paradigms

3.11 Mistakes3.12 False Positives; 3.13 Disagreements; 3.14 Serendipity; 3.15 The Essence of It All; 4: Science Today; 4.1 Exponential Growth; 4.2 Curiosity-Driven vs. Goal-Oriented Research; 4.3 Big and Small Science; 4.4 The Support of Science; 4.5 International Collaborations; 4.6 Science in Everything; 4.7 Science and Society; 4.8 The Powers and Perils of Science; 4.9 Our Global Impact; 4.10 Science and the Philosophy of Science; 4.11 Science and Religion; 4.12 The Massively Interdependent World; 5: Into the Future; 5.1 Will the Current Pace of Science Continue?

5.2 Will We Ever Go Backwards (Again)?5.3 What Remains to Be Discovered?; 5.4 Can Science Ever Be Complete?; 5.5 The Long View; Epilogue; Further Reading; Subject Index; Name Index