Problems of the Future: And Essays (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

Excerpt from Problems of the Future: And Essays

So it is with modern science. For centuries it had to grope its purblind way through dense jungles of superstitious ignorance, where misty shapes of theologi cal and metaphysical speculation obscured the real facts of the universe, or were mistaken for them. At length, and comparatively quite recently, the human intellect emerged into the light of day, and gaining the first heights, began to acquire accurate ideas of the true laws and constitution of the universe. The progress, once begun, went on at an accelerated rate, until in the last half century it has carried with it in an impetuous torrent old creeds and cherished convictions, like so much drift-wood floating on the surface of Lake Erie, when caught by the current which hurries it down the Falls of Niagara.

So irresistible and so wide-spread has been the advance of science, that at first sight we are perhaps disposed to overrate it, and to fancy, like Alexander, that no more worlds remain to conquer, or that, at most, a few unimportant territories are still unannexed. But the true man of science knows differently. He sees ridge still rising behind ridge, and at every step wider horizons opening, with distant peaks that still baffle the boldest climber.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Die Inhaltsangabe kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen.