Before the world was ready : stories of daring genius in science
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-119) and index.

Eight fascinating tales of scientists and inventors ahead of their time. Earth revolves around the sun. Washing hands helps stop the spread of disease. Poisons in the environment affect the entire ecosystem. Today these ideas are common knowledge, but at one time they were all rejected. In this thought-provoking book, find out what happened when people weren't ready to listen to innovators who came up with revolutionary ideas. Alfred Wegener struggled to convince geologists that the ground beneath our feet is moving. "Mad scientist" Nikola Tesla's futuristic ideas about electricity were dismissed. Charles Darwin delayed publishing his controversial theory of evolution for decades. Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace nearly invented the first computer in the 1800s. Copernicus proposed a sun-centered model of the universe. Ignaz Semmelweis tried in vain to persuade doctors to use disinfection methods. Aviation pioneer George Cayley's ideas were decades ahead of the technology that would make them work. Rachel Carson sounded the first alarm about the effects of pesticides on wildlife. Nowadays, we think of these scientists as heroes, but they all endured great personal hardships for daring to think differently.