Science, Myth Or Magic?: A Struggle for ExistenceThis work attempts to define what is science and, more importantly, what is not science. Tony Barnett faces superstition, magic and charlatanry, political platforms masquerading as scientifically-based programmes and pseudobiology, and gives rational responses to them based on authentic science. He shows how scientific methods can be applied to specific everyday problems and scientifically scrutinizes a number of popular but erroneous beliefs, from the repellent to the absurd. |
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... Animal Magic Medical Magic 22 2 Brain Waves Bumps on the Cranium The Actual Brain Experimental Thinking PART II STRUGGLE 3 Ape or Angel ? Adapting to Darwin The Beast in Man ' • Clinical Darwinism Purple Patches Men of Property ...
... Animal Magic Medical Magic 22 2 Brain Waves Bumps on the Cranium The Actual Brain Experimental Thinking PART II STRUGGLE 3 Ape or Angel ? Adapting to Darwin The Beast in Man ' • Clinical Darwinism Purple Patches Men of Property ...
Page 4
... animals and plants around them . He quotes comments by Canadian indigenes on the ignorance of visitors who have been only briefly in their country . The ' white man ' , they say , knows little about the animals ; whereas they , the ...
... animals and plants around them . He quotes comments by Canadian indigenes on the ignorance of visitors who have been only briefly in their country . The ' white man ' , they say , knows little about the animals ; whereas they , the ...
Page 5
... animals of a large ecosystem . Modern science , founded on the classifying and testing of the world begun by our ... animal telepathy . The winners would get gold medals . Presumably the gold would be produced by alchemy . In the ...
... animals of a large ecosystem . Modern science , founded on the classifying and testing of the world begun by our ... animal telepathy . The winners would get gold medals . Presumably the gold would be produced by alchemy . In the ...
Page 8
... of earth , Commotion in the winds , frights , changes , horrors , Divert and crack , rend and deracinate The unity and married calm of states Quite from their fixture . The magic of heavenly bodies and animals , combined in. 8 MAGIC AND ...
... of earth , Commotion in the winds , frights , changes , horrors , Divert and crack , rend and deracinate The unity and married calm of states Quite from their fixture . The magic of heavenly bodies and animals , combined in. 8 MAGIC AND ...
Page 9
A Struggle for Existence Samuel Anthony Barnett. The magic of heavenly bodies and animals , combined in an Egyptian painting of about 1300BC . Astrology is still influential even in our own day ; but it rarely takes such a decorative ...
A Struggle for Existence Samuel Anthony Barnett. The magic of heavenly bodies and animals , combined in an Egyptian painting of about 1300BC . Astrology is still influential even in our own day ; but it rarely takes such a decorative ...
Contents
STRUGGLE | 33 |
Intermezzo on Instinct | 63 |
Genes and Clones | 71 |
Human Destiny | 82 |
THE IMAGE AND THE REAL | 107 |
EXISTENCE | 119 |
A Bridge Passage | 135 |
Science and Sums | 141 |
Fire From Heaven | 160 |
The Times to Come | 178 |
Glossary | 188 |
Bibliography | 198 |
Index | 204 |
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ability achievements adapted animals aposematism asked astrology attitudes Barnett behaviour Bertrand Russell biologists biology bonobos brain called cells chapter chimpanzees chromosome Clever Hans clone complex cortex Darwin Darwinian depends described E.O. Wilson effects environment ethology evolution evolutionary example exist experimental experiments explain famous findings gene q.v. genetically Hence historian Homo pugnax Homo sapiens human social human species idea influence instinct intelligence interaction J.B.S. Haldane kind knowledge later limbic system living logical London magic male mathematics means metaphor method mice modern moral mutation natural selection observed organisms outcome Oxford patient person phrenology physics plants population predictions principles problems produce proteins reader reduction result Richard Dawkins scientific scientists sense Similarly skills sociobiology sometimes speech statements Stonehenge stories survival Susan Blackmore teaching theory tion Today trait transposons University Press usually variation violence writes
Popular passages
Page 8 - And posts, like the commandment of a king, Sans check, to good and bad : But when the planets In evil mixture, to disorder wander, What plagues, and what portents ! what mutiny ! What raging of the sea ! shaking of earth ! Commotion in the winds ! frights, changes, horrors Divert and crack, rend and deracinate The unity and married calm of states Quite from their fixture...
Page 39 - In the distant future I see open fields for far more important researches. Psychology will be based on a new foundation, that of the necessary acquirement of each mental power and capacity by gradation. Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history.
Page 72 - Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit ; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Page 3 - ... we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars; as if we were villains on necessity; fools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treachers by spherical pre-dominance; drunkards, liars, and adulterers by an enforc'd obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on.
Page 82 - I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill ; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Page 181 - But when his own great work is but begun, What Reason weaves, by Passion is undone. Trace Science, then, with Modesty thy guide ; First strip off all her equipage of Pride ; Deduct what is but Vanity or dress, Or Learning's luxury, or Idleness ; Or tricks to show the stretch of human brain, Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain ; Expunge the whole, or lop th...
Page 10 - Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation; all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, though religion were not: but superstition dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute monarchy in the minds of men.
Page 121 - Do not all charms fly At the mere touch of cold philosophy ? There was an awful rainbow once in heaven : We know her woof, her texture ; she is given In the dull catalogue of common things. Philosophy will clip an Angel's wings, Conquer all mysteries by rule and line, Empty the haunted air and gnomed mine — Unweave a rainbow, as it erewhile made The tender-person'd Lamia melt into a shade.