Leaps in the dark

"Leaps in the Dark offers a refreshing and eye-opening look at scientific discoveries and at the shaping of scientific reputations from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Drawing on the latest research, John Waller dismantles longstanding myths and reveals how misconception, politics, patriotism, and sloppy scholarship have distorted the way we see the history of science. Above all, Leaps in the Dark tells a series of stories about how we've come to know so much about the world around us."--Jacket.