{"product_id":"the-limits-of-science","title":"The Limits of Science","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Science \" writes Sir Peter Medawar  \"is incomparably the most successful enterprise human beings have ever engaged upon.\" In this brief  brilliant book the Nobel laureate explores the nature and limitations of scientific pursuit. The three essays included touch on some of the largest questions known to man: Can science determine the existence of God? Is there one \"scientific method\" by which all the secrets of the universe can be discovered? In \"An Essay on Scians\" (an early spelling of \"science\")  Medawar examines the process of scientific inquiry. Debunking the common belief that science is inductively structured  he claims that great leaps of imagination are required to determine the laws of nature and likens the process of scientific hypothesis to the creative acts of poets and artists. The question posed in \"Can Scientific Discovery Be Premeditated?\" is answered with a firm no. Sir Peter stresses the role of luck in the history of science and cites as examples of un-premeditated discoveries those of X-rays  HLA polymorphism  and the nature of the disease myasthenia gravis. In the title essay  Medawar distinguishes between \"transcendent\" questions  which are better left to religion  literature  and metaphysics  and questions about the organization and structure of the material universe. With regard to the latter  he concludes  there are no limits to the possibilities of scientific achievement. \"This is sciences greatest glory \" writes Medawar  \"for it entails that everything which is possible in principle can be done if the intention to do it is sufficiently resolute and long sustained.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44946760073269,"sku":"ByrdShop_0195052129","price":314.37,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780195052121.jpg?v=1770647420","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-limits-of-science","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}