Sign-In
Cart
Eurekas and Euphorias: The Oxford Book of Scientific Anecdotes
Paperback
Series: Popular Science
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN10: 019860940X
ISBN13: 9780198609407
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: Jul 8 2004
Pages: 357
Weight: 0.56
Height: 0.76 Width: 5.14 Depth: 7.74
Language: English
ISBN13: 9780198609407
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: Jul 8 2004
Pages: 357
Weight: 0.56
Height: 0.76 Width: 5.14 Depth: 7.74
Language: English
The march of science has been marked through the years by episodes of drama and comedy, of failure as well as triumph, by outrageous strokes of luck, deserved and undeserved, and sometimes by human tragedy. From the death of Archimedes at the hands of an irritated Roman soldier to the concoction of a superconducting witches' brew at the close of the twentieth century, the stories in Eurekas and Euphorias pour out, told with wit and relish by Walter Gratzer.
Open this book at random and you may chance on the clumsy chemist named Sapper who broke a thermometer in a reaction vat and made the discovery that launched the modern dyestuff industry. Or the physicist who dissolved his gold Nobel Prize medal in acid to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Nazis. We meet mathematicians and physicists in prison cells, and even in a madhouse, making important advances in their field. And we witness the careers, sometimes tragic, sometimes carefree, of the great women scientists, from Hypatia of Alexandria, to Sophie Germain and Sonia Kovalevskaya, to Marie Curie and her relentless battle with the French Academy. A glorious parade unfolds to delight the reader, with stories to astonish, to instruct, and most especially, to entertain.
Also in
Sports General
The Formative Years of Relativity: The History and Meaning of Einstein's Princeton Lectures
Gutfreund, Hanoch
Renn, Jürgen
Hardcover
$66.00
The Science Magpie: Fascinating Facts, Stories, Poems, Diagrams and Jokes Plucked from Science
Flynn, Simon
Paperback
From $9.99
Every Dog Deserves an Adventure: Amazing Stories of Camping with Dogs
Tracosas, L. J.
Camping with Dogs
Hardcover
$23.74
This Is about Running. This Is Not about Running.: Lessons for Between and Beyond the Start and Finish Line
Bennett, Chris
Hardcover
$28.50
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance
Gallwey, W. Timothy
Paperback
$19.95
Pardon My Book: Ten Years of the Best (and Worst) in Sports from Pardon My Take
Commenter, Pft
Big Cat
Hardcover
$33.25
Big Fan: Two Friends, 82,490 Miles, and the Wild, Wonderful Sports We Love
Schur, Michael
Posnanski, Joe
Hardcover
$31.50
I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right
Kaplan, Matt
Hardcover
$28.50
Long Range Shooting Handbook: Complete Beginner's Guide to Precision Rifle Shooting
Cleckner, Ryan M.
Paperback
$23.70
The Magical Game: The Spirit and History of Baseball's Superstitions, Rituals, and Curses
Baird, Addy
Hardcover
$26.10
The Age of Alchemy: The Secret History of Chemistry from Ancient Magic to Modern Science
Chapman, Kit
Hardcover
$28.45
The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide: Emergency Preparedness for Any Disaster
Alton, Amy
Alton, Joseph
Paperback
$18.99
The Long Game: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts
Schaerlaeckens, Leander
Hardcover
$31.35
A Pox on Fools: The True Believers, Grifters, and Cynics Who Convinced Us to Reject Vaccines
Levenson, Thomas
Hardcover
$25.20
The Playbook: The Hidden Forces Shaping Winners and Losers in the Modern NFL
Robinson, Joshua
Clegg, Jonathan
Hardcover
$28.49
Inside the Owner's Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports
Rubenstein, David M.
Hardcover
$28.50
The Diet-Proof Body: 5 Simple Habits to Lose Fat, Keep It Off and Escape Diet Prison for Good
Harrison, Trent
Paperback
$18.99
The Plunge: Maverick Swimmers, an Unlikely Quest, and the Transformative Power of Cold Water
Ballard, Chris
Hardcover
$27.00
The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy
Bauer, Susan Wise
Hardcover
$27.00
Compete: Developing a Mental Playbook for Performance Under Pressure in Sport
Abrahams, Dan
Paperback
$28.74
The Power of Life: The Invention of Biology and the Revolutionary Science of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Riskin, Jessica
Hardcover
$30.40
Relegated: One American's Pints-And-Pies Journey from the Top to the Bottom of English Football
Smith, Todd
Hardcover
From $19.99
The Ultimate Soccer Jersey Collection: Iconic Kits from the World's Greatest Game
Football Shirts, Classic
Hardcover
$33.25
The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science
Sobel, Dava
Paperback
From $10.99
Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education
Pilates, Joseph H.
Paperback
$18.95
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection (Large Print Edition)
Green, John
Paperback
$28.50
Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime in Golf
Penick, Harvey
Hardcover
$25.65
Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter (Large Print Edition)
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
$56.55
A Walk in the Wood: Meditations on Mindfulness with a Bear Named Pooh
Parent, Nancy
Parent, Joseph
Hardcover
$20.90
A Year of Forest School: Outdoor Play and Skill-Building Fun for Every Season
Worroll, Jane
Houghton, Peter
Paperback
$18.95
2084 and the AI Revolution, Updated and Expanded Edition: How Artificial Intelligence Informs Our Future
Lennox, John C.
Hardcover
$26.59
Bioinspired: How Nature Made Us Modern, Drives Today's Technological Innovation, and Inspires a Future Worth Inventing
Stier, Samuel Cord
Hardcover
$33.25
String Theory: David Foster Wallace on Tennis: A Library of America Special Publication
Wallace, David Foster
Hardcover
$21.80
Friday Night Lights (25th Anniversary Edition): A Town, a Team, and a Dream
Bissinger, H. G.
Paperback
From $10.99
Pheasant Tail Simplicity: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Fly Fishing
Mazzo, Mauro
Mathews, Craig
Chouinard, Yvon
Paperback
$23.75
Todo Es Tuberculosis. La Historia de la Infección Más Mortal de la Humanidad / Everything Is Tuberculosis
Green, John
Paperback
$14.20
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
$16.10
Motorcycle Life: Stories, Wisdom, and Obsession from Riders Around the World
Hendrikx, Eric
Hardcover
$38.00
Lottery Books; How To Win The Powerball Lottery.: Proven Methods And Strategies To Win The Powerball Lottery
Secrets, Powerball Money
Paperback
$8.56
The Inner Game of Tennis (50th Anniversary Edition): The Classic Guide to Peak Performance
Gallwey, W. Timothy
Hardcover
$26.60
Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
Boyle, Rebecca
Paperback
$20.90
Coaching with Heart: Taoist Wisdom to Inspire, Empower, and Lead
Lynch, Jerry
Huang, Chungliang Al
Paperback
$18.99
Knicker Bonkers: The New York Knicks' Wild NBA Championship Run to End a 53-Year Title Drought
New York Post
Paperback
$18.95
Emerald City Trail: A Walking Guide Through Seattle & Our Olmsted History
Hendrickson, Peter
Paperback
$21.80
Alchemy: An Illustrated History of Elixirs, Experiments, and the Birth of Modern Science
Ball, Philip
Hardcover
$38.00
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman
Feynman, Richard P.
Paperback
$18.04
The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything: How Carbon Dioxide Made Our World
Brannen, Peter
Paperback
$18.00
Fast Guide to the RULES OF GOLF: A Handy Fast Guide to Golf Rules (Pocket Sized Edition)
Golfwell, Team
Paperback
$10.40
Lambeau Ladies: The Boundary-Breaking Women Behind Lombardi's Packers
Kostelnik Biskupic, Laura
Biskupic, Katherine
Paperback
$26.95
The Powerful Primate: How Controlling Energy Enabled Us to Build Civilization
Ennos, Roland
Hardcover
$27.00
Your Guide to the 2026 World Cup: Everything You Need to Know about the Players and Teams
Stay, Shane
Paperback
$18.95
Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being
Theise, Neil
Paperback
$19.00
Horse Country: Inside the World of Equestrian Style and Sport, from British Dressage to Western Riding
O'Shea-Evans, Kathryn
Hardcover
$57.00
Interregnum: Inside the Grueling and Glamorous Battle to Become the Next King of Chess
Himelfarb, Jordan
Hardcover
$28.45
Science of Cycling: Transform Your Ride, Gain Strength, Revolutionize Your Training
Bailey, David
Paperback
$28.50
Training for the New Alpinism: A Manual for the Climber as Athlete
Johnston, Scott
House, Steve
Paperback
$33.25