Most scientists have tried to explain their work to inquisitive relatives or acquaintances. Whether one studies salamander biology, glacial moraines or dark energy, one inevitably faces someone who is convinced that a life devoted to understanding nature is no vocation for a grown person and is merely an escape from the 'real world'. The string theorist and author, Brian Greene, has argued that these mis-perceptions are derived from how science is taught and communicated to the public. His prescription is that scientists need to convey the breathtaking vistas opened up by scientific inquiry and teach science for what it is: one of humanity s great adventure stories. Evolutionary biologist Sean Carroll's new book, Remarkable Creatures, fills this important niche.
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