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'This Idea Must Die' singles out scientific theories ready for retirement
Essays identify old ideas that may be stalling scientific progress
This Idea Must Die
John Brockman, Ed.
Harper Perennial, $15.99
“Science advances by a series of funerals,” writes John Brockman, founder of the online discussion forum Edge.org. Sometimes, he says, old ideas have to be put to bed before new ones can flourish. With that in mind, he asked researchers, journalists and other science enthusiasts to weigh in on which established theories need to go. From the replies, Brockman compiled This Idea Must Die, a fascinating smorgasbord of 175 short essays about every field and facet of research.
Many of the responses offer tweaks to
