Science and Human Experience

'As a scientist and a humanist, Cooper is well-versed in philosophy, literature, art, and the practicalities of making science serve humanity, as opposed to being in thrall to special interests. His intellectual open-mindedness and compelling prose style make Science and Human Experience a thought-provoking pleasure to read.' Peter Byrne, author of The Many Worlds of Hugh Everett III: Multiple Universes, Mutual Assured Destruction, and the Meltdown of a Nuclear Family
'This is a fascinating melange of essays on topics ranging from the question of fraud in science to Euclidean geometry and the 'neural-network' approach to brain research. Cooper's characteristic combination of lucidity and common sense had me nodding in enthusiastic agreement on just about every page.' Anthony Leggett, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
'From black body radiation to brain circuitry; from Copenhagen to consciousness - this well-curated set of essays crackles with bracing insights about science, and about the world that science strives to fathom. An almost hushed voice (often with a slightly jocular tinge), marshaling volumes of data into an abruptly well-ordered, breathtakingly lucid condensate: that's Leon Cooper in a nutshell.' Richard Granger, Dartmouth College
'Science and Human Experience is a collection of essays drawn from work published over a 40-year span by that remarkable theorist-scientist Leon Cooper. And these really are essays - reasonably short, often argumentative, filled with startling insights, and written from a personal perspective about issues of great interest. Cooper's writing style is charming, witty, and accessible; the essays ... [are] fun to read.' Gary S. Lynch, Cerebrum