Four revolutions in the earth sciences : from heresy to truth
(Book)

Noted scientist Powell (National Physical Science Consortium), author of The Inquisition of Climate Science (CH, Mar'12, 49-3880), recounts the history of what he views (justifiably) as the four greatest intellectual achievements of geoscience in the 20th century, presented in rough chronological order. These are determining the "absolute" ages of rocks in the wake of the discovery of radioactive decay; formulating the global unifying theory of plate tectonics; elucidating how impacts by large extraterrestrial bodies helped shaped the moon and Earth; and connecting the large-scale depletion of fossil fuels to atmospheric change and global warming. In all four cases, the author explains how checks and balances built into the scientific enterprise eventually allowed new data to overturn an entrenched but mistaken consensus. Key individuals with unusually clear insights set the stage for these revolutions, yet they were generally prophets without honor in their own lifetimes. Given the immensity of all four topics, the pace is brisk and the narrative may be too compact at times for readers without some prior knowledge in these areas. However, the prose flows smoothly and culminates in a list of 40 recommended books at various levels for further exploration. Detailed citations, some illustrations, and a full 18-page bibliography are also included. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --Bruce M. Simonson, Oberlin College

Powell (The Inquisition of Climate Science), executive director of the National Physical Science Consortium, takes a historical look at four truths in the earth sciences and how these truths came to be accepted. While he gives equal weight to his treatments of the age of the earth, continental drift, meteorite impacts, and global warming, it is his goal to use the first three topics to help inform understanding of the fourth. With each subject in turn, Powell begins with first thoughts on the matter and then tracks opposed views until the mounting data in each case is able to "transform heresy into truth." Scientists come off as fallible and stubborn as anyone, and indeed Powell says that "in science, being wrong is inevitable and indispensable." But he makes it clear that the process of science eventually succeeds in producing the best explanation of available data. In the case of anthropogenic global warming, there is no dispute in the scientific community and, despite media claims, this is borne out by peer-reviewed articles (of which only one in a thousand claims that this is not the case). Powell concludes that Big Oil is doing exactly what Big Tobacco did in trying to obscure the truth for its own ends. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Powell (The Inquisition of Climate Science), executive director of the National Physical Science Consortium, takes a historical look at four truths in the earth sciences and how these truths came to be accepted. While he gives equal weight to his treatments of the age of the earth, continental drift, meteorite impacts, and global warming, it is his goal to use the first three topics to help inform understanding of the fourth. With each subject in turn, Powell begins with first thoughts on the matter and then tracks opposed views until the mounting data in each case is able to "transform heresy into truth." Scientists come off as fallible and stubborn as anyone, and indeed Powell says that "in science, being wrong is inevitable and indispensable." But he makes it clear that the process of science eventually succeeds in producing the best explanation of available data. In the case of anthropogenic global warming, there is no dispute in the scientific community and, despite media claims, this is borne out by peer-reviewed articles (of which only one in a thousand claims that this is not the case). Powell concludes that Big Oil is doing exactly what Big Tobacco did in trying to obscure the truth for its own ends. (Jan.)

Powell (The Inquisition of Climate Science), executive director of the National Physical Science Consortium, takes a historical look at four truths in the earth sciences and how these truths came to be accepted. While he gives equal weight to his treatments of the age of the earth, continental drift, meteorite impacts, and global warming, it is his goal to use the first three topics to help inform understanding of the fourth. With each subject in turn, Powell begins with first thoughts on the matter and then tracks opposed views until the mounting data in each case is able to "transform heresy into truth." Scientists come off as fallible and stubborn as anyone, and indeed Powell says that "in science, being wrong is inevitable and indispensable." But he makes it clear that the process of science eventually succeeds in producing the best explanation of available data. In the case of anthropogenic global warming, there is no dispute in the scientific community and, despite media claims, this is borne out by peer-reviewed articles (of which only one in a thousand claims that this is not the case). Powell concludes that Big Oil is doing exactly what Big Tobacco did in trying to obscure the truth for its own ends. (Jan.)