John Horgan (American journalist)
| John Horgan | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1953[1] |
| Education | Columbia University School of Journalism (1983) |
| Occupation | Science writer, Author |
| Other names | "Chip" Horgan |
| Spouse(s) | Suzie Gilbert |
| Religious belief(s) | Agnostic |
| Notable credit(s) | author of The End of Science; has written for many publications, including Scientific American, The New York Times, Time and Newsweek; frequent guest on BloggingHeads.tv |
John Horgan is an American science journalist best known for his 1996 book The End of Science. He has written for many publications, including Scientific American, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, and IEEE Spectrum. His awards include two Science Journalism Awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Association of Science Writers Science-in-Society Award. His articles have been included in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 editions of The Best American Science and Nature Writing.[2]
Horgan graduated from the Columbia University School of Journalism in 1983. Between 1986 and 1997 he was a senior writer at Scientific American.[2]
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[edit] "The Death of Proof" and The End of Science
His October 1993 Scientific American article, "The Death of Proof", claimed that the growing complexity of mathematics, combined with "computer proofs" and other developments, were undermining traditional concepts of mathematical proof. The article generated "torrents of howls and complaints" from mathematicians, according to David Hoffman (one of the mathematicians Horgan interviewed for the article).[3]
Horgan's 1996 book The End of Science begins where "The Death of Proof" leaves off: in it, Horgan argues that pure science, defined as "the primordial human quest to understand the universe and our place in it," may be coming to an end. Horgan claims that science will not achieve insights into nature as profound as evolution by natural selection, the double helix, the big bang, relativity theory or quantum theory. In the future, he suggests, scientists will refine, extend and apply this pre-existing knowledge but will not achieve any more great "revolutions or revelations."
Nobel laureate Phil Anderson wrote in 1999 "The reason that Horgan's pessimism is so wrong lies in the nature of science itself. Whenever a question receives an answer, science moves on and asks a new kind of question, of which there seem to be an endless supply.".[4] Many other scientists were also strongly critical of Horgan's book. A front-page review in the New York Times called the book "intellectually bracing, sweepingly reported, often brilliant and sometimes bullying."[5]
[edit] Later work
In 1999 Horgan followed up The End of Science with The Undiscovered Mind: How the Human Brain Defies Replication, Medication and Explanation, which critiques neuroscience, psychoanalysis, psychopharmacology, evolutionary psychology, behavioral genetics, artificial intelligence and other mind-related fields. For his 2003 book Rational Mysticism,[6] he profiled a number of scientists, mystics, and religious thinkers who have delved into the interface of science, religion and mysticism. He presents his personal impressions of these individuals and a sometimes controversial analysis of their contributions to rational mysticism and the relationship between religion and science.
In 2005, Horgan became the Director of the Center for Science Writings (CSW) at the Stevens Institute of Technology, in Hoboken, NJ. The CSW sponsors lectures by leading science communicators, including psychologist Steven Pinker of Harvard, biologist Lee Silver of Princeton, philosopher Owen Flanagan of Duke, and the New York Times reporter Andrew Revkin. In 2006 the CSW created the annual Green Book Award to honor books with an environmental theme. The first award was given to Edward O. Wilson for his book The Creation. Horgan has been blogging on the Center for Science Writings' website since May 2006.
[edit] Media appearances
Horgan has appeared on the Charlie Rose show, the Lehrer News Hour and many other media outlets in the U.S. and Europe. Currently he is a frequent host (usually with science writer George Johnson) of "Science Saturday", a weekly discussion related to science topics on the website BloggingHeads.tv in which a large range of current science-related topics are discussed. A large number of prominent scientists, philosophers, and bloggers are also interviewed on a regular basis.
[edit] Bibliography
Incomplete - to be updated
[edit] Books
- Horgan, John (1996), The End of Science: Facing the Limits of Science in the Twilight of the Scientific Age. New York: Broadway Books.
- Horgan, John (1999). The Undiscovered Mind: How the Human Brain Defies Replication, Medication and Explanation. New York: Touchstone.
- Horgan, John and Reverend Frank Greer (2002). Where Was God on September 11? (A Scientist Asks a Ground Zero Pastor). San Francisco: Browntrout Publishers.
- Horgan, John (2003). Rational Mysticism: Dispatches from the Border Between Science and Spirituality. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
[edit] Articles
- Horgan, John (May 1991). "Profile: Reluctant Revolutionary: Thomas S. Kuhn unleashed "paradigm" on the world". Scientific American 264 (5): 40, 49. http://lilt.ilstu.edu/gmklass/foi/readings/horgan.htm
- Horgan, John (November 1993). "Were Four Corners Victims Biowar Casualties?". Scientific American 269 (5): 8. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1093-8.
- Horgan, John (November 1993). "Profile: Marvin L. Minsky: The Mastermind of Artificial Intelligence". Scientific American 269 (5): 14–15.
- Horgan, John (February 1994). "Trends in Physics: Particle Metaphysics". Scientific American 270 (2): 70–78.
- Horgan, John (December 1994). "Global Politics: Mathematicians Collide Over a Claim About Packing Spheres". Scientific American 271 (6): 20–21.
- Horgan, John (December 1994). "The No-Name Virus: Questions Linger After the Four Corners Outbreak". Scientific American 271 (6): 21–22. PMID 7809594.
[edit] References
- ^ catalog.orion.lib.mi.us
- ^ a b John Horgan - Biography, accessed October 21, 2007
- ^ David Hoffman, book review of The End of Science: Facing the Limits of Knowledge in the Twilight of the Scientific Age, Notices of the AMS, Volume 45, Number 2 (February 1998), pp. 263. Accessed October 21, 2007.
- ^ Philip W. Anderson, Why Do They Leave Physics?, Physics Today, Sep99, Vol. 52
- ^ Natalie Angier, The Job Is Finished, The New York Times, June 30, 1996
- ^ Dick Teresi (23 March 2003). "Dude, Where's My Karma?". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9407E0D7133EF930A15750C0A9659C8B63. Book review of Horgan's Rational Mysticism: Dispatches From the Border Between Science and Spirituality. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. (ISBN 0-61844-663-X).
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Horgan (journalist) |
- Official website
- The Center for Science Writings
- John Horgan (1 January 2006). "Einstein Has Left the Building". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/books/review/01horgan.html.
- Video interviews and debates involving John Horgan on BloggingHeads.tv
- John Horgan Debates the Singularity with Ray Kurzweil
