We Are All Stardust : Scientists Who Shaped Our World Talk About Their Work, Their Lives, and What They Still Want to Know

Nineteen Brilliantly Led Conversations With A Sterling Roster Of Natural And Social Scientists, Shedding New Light On Their Ideas, Discoveries And Lives. How Does Jane Goodall's Relationship With Her Dog Rusty Inform Her Thinking About Our Relationship To Other Species? Which Time And Place Would Jared Diamond Most Prefer To Live In, In Light Of His Work On The Role Of Chance In History? What Does Driving A Sports Car Have To Do With Steven Weinberg's Quest For The Theory Of Everything? Physicist And Journalist Stefan Klein's Intimate Conversations With Nineteen Of The World's Best-known Scientists (including Three Nobel Laureates) Let Us Listen In As They Talk About Their Paradigm-changing Work And How It Is Deeply Rooted In Their Daily Lives. Cosmologist Martin Rees On The Beginning And End Of The World, Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins On Egoism And Selflessness, Neuroscientist V.s. Ramachandran On Consciousness, Molecular Biologist Elizabeth Blackburn On Aging, Philosopher Peter Singer On Morality, Physician And Social Scientist Nicholas Christakis On Human Relationships, Biochemist Craig Venter On The Human Genome, And Chemist And Poet Roald Hoffmann On Beauty, Among Others. On The Courage To Spend A Lifetime Searching -- We Are All Stardust : On The Beginning And End Of The World / Cosmologist Martin Rees -- The Genes Of The Good : On Egoism And Selflessness / Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins -- In The Hall Of Illusions : On Consciousness / Neuroscientist V.s. Ramachandran -- The Recalcitrant Zebra : On Chance And Necessity In History / Physiologist And Geographer Jared Diamond -- Chimps Are Individuals Like Us : On Our Relationship To Animals / Primatologist Jane Goodall -- The Unity Of The World : On Science And Religion / Physicist Steven Weinberg -- Can We Become Immortal? : On Aging / Molecular Biologist Elizabeth Blackburn -- Is Luxury Immoral? : On Ethics / Philosopher Peter Singer -- Our Well-being Depends On Our Friends And Their Friends : On Human Relationships / Physician And Social Scientist Nicholas Christakis -- The Software Of Life : On The Human Genome / Biochemist Craig Venter -- The Poetry Of Molecules : On Beauty / Chemist And Poet Roald Hoffmann -- Do You Remember? : On Memory / Neurobiologist Hannah Monyer -- The Others In Our Heads : On Empathy / Neuroscientist Vittorio Gallese -- The Laws Of Devotion : On Altruism / Animal Behavior Researcher Raghavendra Gadagkar -- The Hunger For Fairness : On Morality / Economist Ernst Fehr -- The Strongest Feeling Of All : On Pain / Neuropharmacologist Walter Zieglgänsberger -- The Female Side Of Evolution : On Motherhood / Anthropologist Sarah Hrdy -- Babies Can Be Smarter Than Us : On Childhood / Developmental Psychologist Alison Gopnik -- Love Is The Offspring Of Knowledge : On The Beginning Of Modern Scientific Research / Artist Leonardo Da Vinci. Stefan Klein ; Translated By Ross Benjamin. Translated From The German.

"The dazzling clutch of scientific minds caught in mid-thought here makes for a read that provokes thought in its turn. Delights abound." —Nature "What distinguishes scientists, in your eyes?" —Stefan Klein "First and foremost, curiosity." —Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Prize–winning chemist When Stefan Klein, an acclaimed journalist, sits down to talk with 18 of the world's leading scientists, he finds they're driven by, above all, curiosity. When they talk about their work, they turn to what's next, to what they still hope to discover. And they see inspiration everywhere: From the sports car that physicist Steven Weinberg says helped him on his quest for "the theory of everything" to the jazz musicians who gave psychologist Alison Gopnik new insight into raising children, they reveal how their paradigm-changing work entwines with their lives outside the lab. We hear from extraordinary natural and social scientists, including:

• Evolutionary biologistRichard Dawkinson ego and selflessness
• PrimatologistJane Goodallon chimpanzee behavior
• NeuroscientistV. S. Ramachandranon consciousness
• GeographerJared Diamondon chance in history
• AnthropologistSarah Hrdyon motherhood
• And cosmologistMartin Reeson how "ultimately we ourselves are stardust."

"[Klein's] interview subjects explain their science clearly and display their passions vividly, making this an engaging introduction to a great breadth of scientific topics." —American Scientist "A very welcome volume that will expose readers to all manner of topics that are likely new to them in a manner that focuses first on the lively personalities of the scientists while slowly diving into their work. Surprises abound... and the book's diversionary aspect cannot be overrated. Truly enjoyable." — Booklist

“The dazzling clutch of scientific minds caught in mid-thought here makes for a read that provokes thought in its turn. Delights abound.” —Nature “What distinguishes scientists, in your eyes?” —Stefan Klein “First and foremost, curiosity.” —Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Prize–winning chemist When Stefan Klein, an acclaimed journalist, sits down to talk with 18 of the world’s leading scientists, he finds they’re driven by, above all, curiosity. When they talk about their work, they turn to what’s next, to what they still hope to discover. And they see inspiration everywhere: From the sports car that physicist Steven Weinberg says helped him on his quest for “the theory of everything” to the jazz musicians who gave psychologist Alison Gopnik new insight into raising children, they reveal how their paradigm-changing work entwines with their lives outside the lab. We hear from extraordinary natural and social scientists, including: Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on ego and selflessness Primatologist Jane Goodall on chimpanzee behavior Neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran on consciousness Geographer Jared Diamond on chance in history Anthropologist Sarah Hrdy on motherhood And cosmologist Martin Rees on how “ultimately we ourselves are stardust.” “[Klein’s] interview subjects explain their science clearly and display their passions vividly, making this an engaging introduction to a great breadth of scientific topics.” —American Scientist “A very welcome volume that will expose readers to all manner of topics that are likely new to them in a manner that focuses first on the lively personalities of the scientists while slowly diving into their work. Surprises abound . . . and the book’s diversionary aspect cannot be overrated. Truly enjoyable.” — Booklist Nineteen brilliantly led conversations with a sterling roster of natural and social scientists, shedding new light on their ideas, discoveries and lives. How does Jane Goodall's relationship with her dog Rusty inform her thinking about our relationship to other species? Which time and place would Jared Diamond most prefer to live in, in light of his work on the role of chance in history? What does driving a sports car have to do with Steven Weinberg's quest for the theory of everything? Physicist and journalist Stefan Klein's intimate conversations with nineteen of the world's best-known scientists (including three Nobel Laureates) let us listen in as they talk about their paradigm-changing work and how it is deeply rooted in their daily lives. Cosmologist Martin Rees on the beginning and end of the world, Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on egoism and selflessness, Neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran on consciousness, Molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn on aging, Philosopher Peter Singer on morality, Physician and social scientist Nicholas Christakis on human relationships, Biochemist Craig Venter on the human genome, and Chemist and poet Roald Hoffmann on beauty, among others. Nineteen brilliantly led conversations with a sterling roster of natural and social scientists, shedding new light on their ideas, discoveries and lives. How does Jane Goodall s relationship with her dog Rusty inform her thinking about our relationship to other species? Which time and place would Jared Diamond most prefer to live in, in light of his work on the role of chance in history? What does driving a sports car have to do with Steven Weinberg's quest for the theory of everything? Physicist and journalist Stefan Klein s intimate conversations with nineteen of the world's best-known scientists (including three Nobel laureates) let us listen in as they talk about their paradigm-changing work and how it is deeply rooted in their daily lives. Cosmologist Martin Rees on the beginning and end of the world; evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on egoism and selflessness; neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran on consciousness; molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn on aging; philosopher Peter Singer on morality; physician and social scientist Nicholas Christakis on human relationships; biochemist Craig Venter on the human genome, and chemist and poet Roald Hoffmann on beauty World-leading natural and social scientists shed light on their discoveries and lives in conversation with an award-winning science writer When acclaimed science writer Stefan Klein asks Nobel Prize- winning chemist Roald Hoffmann what sets scientists apart, Hoffmann says, "First and foremost, curiosity." In this collection of intimate conversations with 19 of the world's best-known scientists (including three Nobel Laureates), Klein lets us listen in as today's leading minds reveal what they still hope to discover-and how their paradigm-changing work entwines with their lives outside the lab. From the sports car that physicist Steven Weinberg says helped him on his quest for "the theory of everything" to the jazz musicians who gave psychologist Alison Gopnik new insight into raising children, scientists explain how they find inspiration everywhere. Hear from: *Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on selfishness *Anthropologist Sarah Hrdy on motherhood *Primatologist Jane Goodall on animal behavior *Neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran on consciousness *Geographer Jared Diamond on chance in history *And other luminaries!.--Provided by publisher