Harry Collins

Recent startling successes in machine intelligence using a technique called ‘deep learning’ seem to blur the line between human and machine as never before. Are computers on the cusp of becoming so intelligent that they will render humans obsolete?... Lire la suite

A gripping look at gravitational wave research and what it says about scientific discovery and the future of the scientific community. "This fine book pairs exploratory analysis with the pulse of a detective story. Giving a portrait of the way a... Lire la suite

The rise of populism in the West has led to attacks on the legitimacy of scientific expertise in political decision making. This book explores the differences between populism and pluralist democracy and their relationship with science. Pluralist... Lire la suite

To ordinary people, science used to seem infallible. Scientists were heroes, selflessly pursuing knowledge for the common good. More recently, a series of scientific scandals, frauds and failures have led us to question science’s pre-eminence.... Lire la suite

In the very successful and widely discussed first volume in the Golem series, The Golem: What You Should Know about Science, Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch likened science to the Golem, a creature from Jewish mythology, a powerful creature which,... Lire la suite

What can humans do? What can machines do? How do humans delegate actions to machines? In this book, Harry Collins and Martin Kusch combine insights from sociology and philosophy to provide a novel answer to these increasingly important questions.The... Lire la suite

How technologies can get it wrong in sports, and what the consequences are—referees undermined, fans heartbroken, and the illusion of perfect accuracy maintained. Good call or bad call, referees and umpires have always had the final say in sports.... Lire la suite

An authoritative interdisciplinary account of the historic discovery of gravitational waves In 1915, Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves—ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the movement of large masses—as part of... Lire la suite

"In part an account of sociological fieldwork among scientists in the field and part astronomy-history mystery. . . . a terrific read." — Nature
Gravity's Ghost and Big Dog brings to life science's efforts to detect cosmic gravitational waves.... Lire la suite

A concise, accessible, and engaging guide for students and practitioners of sociology. In Forms of Life, Harry Collins offers an introduction to social science methodology, drawing on his forty-plus years of conducting high-profile sociological... Lire la suite

**Written in real time, this fascinating account takes you inside a landmark scientific discovery, long in the making: the first detection of gravitational waves. “Thrilling like a spy story.” —Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics... Lire la suite