“In "Ignorance: How It Drives Science," Columbia University neurobiologist Stuart Firestein approaches our global dilemmas differently. Rather than considering the future, he seizes on the public's present lack of understanding about science. First he clarifies his provocative choice of title. This large-font declaration of ignorance is no cuff of the gauntlet; it's an admission that scientists operate from a perpetual base of not knowing. In fact, conscious ignorance—knowing what we don't know—is an essential condition for scientific advancement. Researchers through the ages have sought out the untrodden territory beyond the factual frontier. True, an internalized database of facts and figures is required for a scientist's work, but absent a critical mind and the means of inquiry, it's a lifeless encyclopedia. (As Isaac Asimov said: "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' [I found it!] but 'That's funny . . .' ”
