The Knowledge Machine cover art

The Knowledge Machine

How Irrationality Created Modern Science

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The Knowledge Machine

By: Michael Strevens
Narrated by: Julian Elfer
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About this listen

A paradigm-shifting work that revolutionizes our understanding of the origins and structure of science.

Captivatingly written, interwoven with historical vignettes ranging from Newton's alchemy to quantum mechanics to the storm surge of Hurricane Sandy, Michael Strevens' wholly original investigation of science asks two fundamental questions: Why is science so powerful? And why did it take so long, 2,000 years after the invention of philosophy and mathematics, for the human race to start using science to learn the secrets of nature? The Knowledge Machine's radical answer is that science calls on its practitioners to do something irrational: By willfully ignoring religion, theoretical beauty, and, especially, philosophy - essentially stripping away all previous knowledge - scientists embrace an unnaturally narrow method of inquiry, channeling unprecedented energy into observation and experimentation.

Like Yuval Harari's Sapiens or Thomas Kuhn's 1962 classic, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, The Knowledge Machine overturns much of what we thought we knew about the origins of the modern world.

©2020 Michael Strevens (P)2020 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books History History & Philosophy Philosophy Science Society Mathematics Metaphysical

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Overall, this book is a sweeping account of why science is dogmatic - this point is not up for discussion. I agree with the author and have come to this conclusion a number of years ago, so while the book is interesting, it didn't really enlighten me very much. It's a good overview of the inherent contradictions and problems within the scientific method, however, I'm not sure if it really manages to get beyond the problems posed by Hume, Popper or Kuhn - although it is a far easier read! I did find it frustrating that Schrödinger - who saw the separation of humanities and science as a great backward step (in Nature and the Greeks and Science and Humanism) was not mentioned at all.

Could be better

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This becomes a bit repetitive and gloomy for a topic that one could cover with some pointed fingers and a lot of respect.

Too little material for a whole book

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There are many illustrations that are referred to in this book and the audio book loses the richness of the story because of this

Don't buy audiobook

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