Join us as we celebrate the release of James C. Zimring’s book What Science Is and How It Really Works. A signing will follow. This event will be free and open to the public.
Scientific advances have transformed the world. However, science can sometimes get things wrong, and at times, disastrously so. Understanding the basis for scientific claims and judging how much confidence we should place in them is essential for individual choice, societal debates, and development of public policy and laws. We must ask: what is the basis of scientific claims? How much confidence should we put in them? What is defined as science and what is not? This book synthesizes a working definition of science and its properties, as explained through the eyes of a practicing scientist, by integrating advances from philosophy, psychology, history, sociology, and anthropology into a holistic view. Crucial in our political climate, the book fights the myths of science often portrayed to the public. Written for a general audience, it also enables students to better grasp methodologies and helps professional scientists to articulate what they do and why.
"Dr Zimring has produced a marvelously cogent and eminently readable book that explains how to recognize good science and know when to question poor ‘scientific’ conclusions. Reading this book places scientists and non-scientists on the same playing field when discussing critical issues and making important decisions. I would feel much better going to the polls if every voter understood the lessons that Zimring effortlessly communicates."
—Professor Brian R. Smith, Yale University
James C. Zimring is a professor of pathology at the University of Virginia, where he pursues basic and translational research in the field of transfusion medicine and blood biology. He has an MD and also a PhD in immunology, both awarded from Emory University, and has published more than 120 research articles in his field of study. Professor Zimring is the recipient of multiple awards for his research and teaching, and is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI).
For over a decade, Professor Zimring has taught courses to graduate students (training in the basic sciences) on the philosophical underpinnings of scientific approaches to basic biomedical research, a topic seldom taught in a formal setting to students of science, despite the essential role it plays in scientific research. While delivering lectures as a visiting speaker at different research universities, Professor Zimring frequently delivers lectures on the practice of science itself to students and faculty alike. Out of these activities, Professor Zimring has authored a book for lay audiences and scientists alike, entitled What Science is and How it Really Works (Cambridge University Press).