Press Releases

Edited by Jon Turney
Photographs by Hugo Glendinning

Published by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Price: £8.50 | Paperback | 160pp | ISBN 0 903319 98 5
73 b&w photographs

Publication Date: 18 September 2003

Jon Copley, Marine Biologist; Caroline Dessent, Physical Chemist; Marcus du Sautoy, Mathematician; Kevin Fong, Doctor and Space Physiologist; David Gems, Geneticist; Janna Levin, Cosmologist; Tanniemola Liverpool, Biophysicist; Mark Lythgoe, Neurophysiologist; Yadvinder Malhi, Ecologist and Meteorologist; Charlotte Roberts, Palaeopathologist.

Ten younger generation scientists, all highfliers and including some Royal Society Research Fellows, keep intimate diaries over six months. Here are frank disclosures of what it’s like to survive the brutal competitiveness of scientific practice – the fear of failure, the frustrations with rivals, the technological breakdowns, the long hours and the effect all this can have on private and family life.

But it’s not all bad news. As editor Jon Turney writes, ‘the experience of making a discovery – even a small one – is as good as it is cracked up to be.’ We learn about the peculiar sexual characteristics of nematode worms which may give us clues about ageing, ancient bones reveal the spread of syphilis before Columbus, two black holes orbit each other chaotically, the solving of a small problem in neuroscience may come to save the lives of sick children. The diarists work in extraordinary places – among the beauties of the rainforest, in the bustle of New York, deep under the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico and in zero gravity en route to the first human space flight to Mars. And there are glimpses into personal lives too – masochistic sporting pursuits, childcare arrangements, one wedding, two pregnancies and a funeral.

A companion volume to the widely acclaimed Art, not Chance, the collection of artists’ diaries, Science, not Art is exhilarating, moving, honest, full of wit and self-irony – a unique insight into the scientific world.

‘Panic descends. How could I have made such an error? I check. I recheck. I calculate. I code. I compare, cross-check, test, think, freak out, calm down, check some more. Sleepless nights. I find no error. My results hold up.’ Janna Levin

‘I never realised that I would be so regularly tested, or that my confidence would take such a battering. One thing’s for sure… peer review like this doesn’t happen in the art world: “Dr Hirst, we suggest that in the light of previous work the blue dot (row 3, column 3) should actually be cyan. We look forward to your resubmission in the near future.”’ Mark Lythgoe

‘Molecule! Molecule!" he demands. I give them to him, abandon the graphics file and finish typing a memo to fax while James puts the atoms in his mouth. He knows he has my absolute attention now and atoms and bonds are flying everywhere.’ Caroline Dessent

‘I’ve been evicted from my office. A reasonably famous scientist called Stephen Hawking is visiting the ITP this week. My office is on the ground floor near the side exit. When he visits it is generally allocated to him… I move back into my office. Someone points out that I can now say that I took over Stephen Hawking’s chair.’ Tanniemola Liverpool

‘Now, while the others are asleep, I sit and write these notes amidst the flickering shadow-dance of the moths. The forest is full of insect song. Orion blazes overhead in the pitch-black sky.’ Yadvinder Malhi

‘All around me the bodies of my fellow passengers are flying wildly out of control about the aircraft and I’ve just vomited for the second time. The cosmonaut floating opposite me gives me a knowing grin accompanied by a cheery thumbs up.’ Kevin Fong

‘If you could instantly understand what was happening with absolute certainty finding out would no longer be any fun.’ Jon Copley

The Editor
Jon Turney is Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at UCL. His books include Frankenstein’s Footsteps: Science, genetics and popular culture (1998), winner of the BMA Prize for popular medical book of the year. He writes and reviews popular science for The Guardian, The Independent, New Scientist and New York Times.

Art, not Chance
In companion volume Art, not Chance: Nine artists’ diaries (2001) leading artists including Richard Wentworth, Joanna MaGregor, Lawrence Norfolk and Jo Shapcott give readers a unique insight into their working lives.

‘… a generous and radical book, with so much passion, angst and imagination seething between its covers ... compulsory reading for anyone who cares about contemporary culture.’ Louisa Buck, The Art Newspaper

‘… surprisingly intimate access to the agonies and ecstasies of creative minds ... it made me want to read the novel, hear the music, see the show.’ Robert Hewison, The Guardian

‘… a riveting reminder that the business of artists is the making of art … an absorbing and often humorous book … jump at it.’ Lisa Appignanesi, The Independent

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Gulbenkian Foundation is well known for its pioneering work in the field of art and science and its seminal publication Strange and Charmed: Science and the contemporary visual arts (2000) has inspired numerous adventurous research collaborations and residencies in both science and arts organisations.

For further information contact:
Sallie Robins at srPR
020 7249 4858
07733 330344
sr@srPR.net

Science, not Art is available through booksellers in the UK or can be ordered from Central Books:
E-mail: orders@centralbooks.com
Website: www.centralbooks.co.uk

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