Turning Science Into Things People Need

Ten respected scientists who have built successful careers in industry reveal how they made the transition from research scientist to industrial scientist or successful entrepreneur and discuss what kind of jobs scientists hold in the private sector.

Can a scientist find a rewarding career in industry? When considering an opportunity to pursue a career in industry, many scientists face real challenges. Here are a few difficult questions they may ask: What skills do I have that are useful in industry? How is work in industry different than academia? Will I enjoy working at a company instead of a research lab? What do I need to learn in order to be successful in this new environment? What kind of jobs do scientists hold in the private sector? Can a scientist become a successful entrepreneur? In this book, ten respected scientists who have built successful careers in industry reveal new insights into how they made the transition from research scientist to industrial scientist or successful entrepreneur, serving as a guide to other scientists seeking to pursue a similar path. From the student preparing to transition into work in industry, to the scientist who is already working for a company, this book will show you how to sell your strengths and lead confidently.

Scientists who enter the private sector approach their work as if it were a game, with rules that need to be followed but with no clear 'right way' to do things. This book presents valuable insights from experienced and successful industry scientists who share their valuable stories to help you succeed in the private sector.

“The Knowledge Machine is the most stunningly illuminating book of the last several decades regarding the all-important scientific enterprise.” —Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex A paradigm-shifting work, The Knowledge Machine revolutionizes our understanding of the origins and structure of science. • Why is science so powerful? • Why did it take so long—two thousand years after the invention of philosophy and mathematics—for the human race to start using science to learn the secrets of the universe? In a groundbreaking work that blends science, philosophy, and history, leading philosopher of science Michael Strevens answers these challenging questions, showing how science came about only once thinkers stumbled upon the astonishing idea that scientific breakthroughs could be accomplished by breaking the rules of logical argument. Like such classic works as Karl Popper’s The Logic of Scientific Discovery and Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, The Knowledge Machine grapples with the meaning and origins of science, using a plethora of vivid historical examples to demonstrate that scientists willfully ignore religion, theoretical beauty, and even philosophy to embrace a constricted code of argument whose very narrowness channels unprecedented energy into empirical observation and experimentation. Strevens calls this scientific code the iron rule of explanation, and reveals the way in which the rule, precisely because it is unreasonably close-minded, overcomes individual prejudices to lead humanity inexorably toward the secrets of nature. “With a mixture of philosophical and historical argument, and written in an engrossing style” (Alan Ryan), The Knowledge Machine provides captivating portraits of some of the greatest luminaries in science’s history, including Isaac Newton, the chief architect of modern science and its foundational theories of motion and gravitation; William Whewell, perhaps the greatest philosopher-scientist of the early nineteenth century; and Murray Gell-Mann, discoverer of the quark. Today, Strevens argues, in the face of threats from a changing climate and global pandemics, the idiosyncratic but highly effective scientific knowledge machine must be protected from politicians, commercial interests, and even scientists themselves who seek to open it up, to make it less narrow and more rational—and thus to undermine its devotedly empirical search for truth. Rich with illuminating and often delightfully quirky illustrations, The Knowledge Machine, written in a winningly accessible style that belies the import of its revisionist and groundbreaking concepts, radically reframes much of what we thought we knew about the origins of the modern world.

One of the most famous science books of our time, the phenomenal national bestseller that "buzzes with energy, anecdote and life. It almost makes you want to become a physicist" (Science Digest). Richard P. Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, thrived on outrageous adventures. In this lively work that “can shatter the stereotype of the stuffy scientist” (Detroit Free Press), Feynman recounts his experiences trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and cracking the uncrackable safes guarding the most deeply held nuclear secrets—and much more of an eyebrow-raising nature. In his stories, Feynman’s life shines through in all its eccentric glory—a combustible mixture of high intelligence, unlimited curiosity, and raging chutzpah. Included for this edition is a new introduction by Bill Gates.

Looks at the power of conversation for changing everything from personal relationships to organisational dysfunction, and then suggests conversation starters for meaningful discussions.

Author Dr Andy Wynn, along with contributions from leaders of some of the biggest companies on the planet (including DuPont, 3M, Johnson Matthey and Imerys), finally reveals the secret of how you can unlock the potential in your business to grow. In the follow up to his book Transforming Technology into Profit, Andy takes you on a journey that explains how the organisation and culture within your business impact your company’s ability to innovate. Using his "Three Tiers of Successful Innovation", Andy reveals how to clearly identify what aspects of your business are holding back growth and how to use that information to transform your business into one that facilitates growth by revitalising the structure and culture of your business to focus employee behaviours on adding profitable new revenue streams. Part sequel and part companion volume to his previous book, Andy finally "cracks the code" on how to unleash your business’ ability to create and successfully commercialise new products. Written in the author’s trademark conversational style, Cracking the Innovation Code offers a refreshingly practical and real-world view, written by someone who has been there and done it, and enhanced by valuable case studies and contributions from numerous senior executives who have made life-long careers out of leading innovation, and with a passion for leading industrial manufacturing businesses.

Discover new ways to help elementary students engage with and understand the world around them through place-based, hope-filled learning about the causes, impacts, and responses to climate change. This book features foundational climate concepts, easily implementable activity plans, and inspiring examples of student engagement. Each chapter begins with a short vignette pulled from the author’s considerable teaching experience in engaging students in concepts of climate change and climate justice, followed by content-focused sections and recommendations for student activities and projects. The author provides stories of hope-filled action to invite teachers to look for and reflect on similar narratives in their own communities. Sample units of study for grades K-5 show teachers how key ideas from each chapter come together into an instructional plan that incorporates the three dimensions of NGSS and can fit into the broader outline of their school year. This resource is an accessible tool to support any elementary educator in building their own knowledge base and integrating the important and timely issues of climate change into their classroom.