"Over two millennia ago, a Greek philosopher had a number of wondrous insights that paved the way to cosmology, physics, geography, meteorology and biology, setting in motion a new way of seeing the world. Anaximander's legacy includes the revolutionary idea that the earth floats in a void, that the world can be understood in natural rather than supernatural terms, that animals evolved, and that universal laws govern all phenomena. He introduced a new mode of rational thinking with an openness to uncertainty and to the progress of knowledge. In this elegant work, acclaimed physicist Carlo Rovelli brings to light the importance of Anaximander's overlooked legacy to modern science. He examines Anaximander as a scientist interested in shedding light on the deep nature of scientific thinking, which Rovelli locates in his rebellious ability to reimagine the world again and again. Anaximander celebrates the radical lack of certainty that defines the scientific quest for knowledge"

The sixth century BCE
Anaximander's contributions
Atmospheric phenomena
Earth floats in space, suspended in the void
Invisible entities and natural laws
Rebellion becomes virtue
Writing, democracy, and cultural crossbreeding
What is science?
Between cultural relativism and absolute thought
Can we understand the world without God?
Prescientific thought
Conclusion: Anaximander's heritage

"First published in French as Anaximandre de Milet, ou la naissance de la pensée scientifique by Editions Dunod 2009. English translation first published as The first scientist: Anaximander and his legacy by Westolme Publishing 2016"--Title page verso