Includes bibliographical references and index.

Accidents, coincidences and the luck of the draw : how Benjamin Thompson and Humphry Davy enabled Michael Faraday to electrify the world -- Science, technology and economic growth : can their magical relationships be controlled? -- Max Planck : a reluctant revolutionary with a hunger of the soul -- Physics golden age : "Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive/But to be young was very heaven" -- Oswald T Avery : a modest diminutive introverted scientific heavyweight -- Barbara Mcclintock (1902-1992) : a patient integrating maverick interpreter of living systems -- Charles Townes : a meticulously careful scientific adventurer -- Carl Woese : a staunch advocate for classical biology. Molecular biologists can read the notes in the score but they can't hear the music? -- Peter Mitchell : a high-minded creative and courageous bioenergetics accountant -- Harry Kroto : an artistic adventurous chemist with a flair for astrophysics -- John Mattick : a prominent critic of dogma and a pioneer of the idea that genomes contain hidden sources of regulation -- Conclusions: How we can foster prosperity indefinitely.

Promoting the Planck Club presents rich mini histories of selected scientists whose work led to radical and transformational discoveries, their background, the prevailing scientific environment, and the conditions that allowed for their success. The text provides a broad audience of students, scientists, engineers, economists, and policymakers with ways to ensure that we take all steps to protect the flow of unpredictable scientific discoveries that are necessary for sustained levels of growth as well as ways to ensure that all steps are taken to protect the flow of unpredictable scientific discoveries.

John Wiley and Sons Wiley eBooks