Everything?s Relative: And Other Fables from Science and Technology

Stand on the shoulders of giants and discover the real stories behind many of the most cherished "facts" in science history Forget everything you learned in school. Abandon the sound–bitten histories of textbooks. Disregard the articles you read in your favorite magazines. The history of science is riddled with errors and misconceptions. Facts have been whitewashed by narcissism and nationalism. Brilliant scientists, burdened by procrastination, have practically handed credit for their discoveries over to their more ambitious nemeses. In Everything’s Relative, Tony Rothman debunks centuries of commonly held beliefs to reveal the real truths behind the greatest moments in science. From Einstein’s possible misunderstanding of his own theories to actress Hedy Lemarr’s role in the invention of the radio–controlled torpedo, Everything’s Relative barrels through centuries of legends to reveal the even more fascinating stories behind some of the most important breakthroughs in science. Some of the surprising truths revealed include: Henry Young, the American inventor, discovered radio waves a full half–century before Heinrich Hertz Abel Niepce de Saint Victor discovered radioactivity forty years before Henri Becquerel The cotton gin existed in India and Asia long before Eli Whitney claimed to have invented it Thomas Edison did not invent the first incandescent bulb; he invented the first practical one The Koreans invented moveable type half a century before Johannes Gutenberg