From Plato to Einstein, via Copernicus and Darwin, this fascinating text shows how science came to be such a dominating and important aspect of modern culture. Presented as a lively and highly readable narrative, it provides a rich historicalsurvey of the major developments in scientific thought, from the Ancient Greeks to the twentieth century. Along the way, John Henry revises many false assumptions that have been made about the history of science and offers new interpretations. Grounded firmly upon the latest historical scholarship, the book explains how new scientific theories have emerged and analyses their impact on contemporary thinking.A Short History of Scientific Thought places the history of science within its social, cultural and historical contexts, covering key topics such as:í the relationship between science and religioní the history of science and magicí experimental and mechanical philosophyí Newton's legacyí theories of evolution