Seeds of life : from Aristotle to Da Vinci, from shark's teeth to frog's pants, the long and strange quest to discover where babies come from
(eBooks)
Author
Published
New York : Basic Books, [2017].
Physical Description
1 online resource (ix, 309 pages) : illustrations
Status
Summary
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Also in this Series
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Subjects
Library of Congress Subjects
Other Subjects
Electronic books.
Fertilization
Fécondation.
Fortpflanzung
History, 17th Century
History, 18th Century
History, 19th Century
Medizin
Mensch
Médecine -- Histoire -- 17e siècle.
Médecine -- Histoire -- 18e siècle.
Médecine -- Histoire -- 19e siècle.
Popular Work
Reproduction
Reproduction humaine -- Aspect social.
Reproduction humaine -- Histoire.
Reproduction humaine -- Mythologie.
Science -- history
Fertilization
Fécondation.
Fortpflanzung
History, 17th Century
History, 18th Century
History, 19th Century
Medizin
Mensch
Médecine -- Histoire -- 17e siècle.
Médecine -- Histoire -- 18e siècle.
Médecine -- Histoire -- 19e siècle.
Popular Work
Reproduction
Reproduction humaine -- Aspect social.
Reproduction humaine -- Histoire.
Reproduction humaine -- Mythologie.
Science -- history
More Details
Format
eBooks
Language
English
ISBN
9780465094967, 0465094961
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary
"Why cracking the code of human conception took centuries of wild theories, misogynist blunders, and ludicrous mistakes. Throughout most of human history, babies were surprises. People knew the basics: men and women had sex, and sometimes babies followed. But beyond that the origins of life were a colossal mystery. The Seeds of Life is the remarkable and rollicking story of how a series of blundering geniuses and brilliant amateurs struggled for two centuries to discover where, exactly, babies come from. Taking a page from investigative thrillers, acclaimed science writer Edward Dolnick looks to these early scientists as if they were detectives hot on the trail of a bedeviling and urgent mystery. These strange searchers included an Italian surgeon using shark teeth to prove that female reproductive organs were not 'failed' male genitalia, and a Catholic priest who designed ingenious miniature pants to prove that frogs required semen to fertilize their eggs. A witty and rousing history of science, The Seeds of Life presents our greatest scientists struggling-against their perceptions, their religious beliefs, and their deep-seated prejudices-to uncover how and where we come from"--,Provided by publisher
Local note
WorldCat record variable field(s) change: 650
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Dolnick, E. (2017). Seeds of life: from Aristotle to Da Vinci, from shark's teeth to frog's pants, the long and strange quest to discover where babies come from . Basic Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Dolnick, Edward, 1952-. 2017. Seeds of Life: From Aristotle to Da Vinci, From Shark's Teeth to Frog's Pants, the Long and Strange Quest to Discover Where Babies Come From. Basic Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Dolnick, Edward, 1952-. Seeds of Life: From Aristotle to Da Vinci, From Shark's Teeth to Frog's Pants, the Long and Strange Quest to Discover Where Babies Come From Basic Books, 2017.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Dolnick, Edward. Seeds of Life: From Aristotle to Da Vinci, From Shark's Teeth to Frog's Pants, the Long and Strange Quest to Discover Where Babies Come From Basic Books, 2017.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.