Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

The golem -- Edible knowledge : the chemical transfer of memory -- Two experiments that 'proved' the theory of relativity -- The sun in a test tube : the story of cold fusion -- The germs of dissent : Louis Pasteur and the origins of life -- A new window on the universe : the non-detection of gravitational radiation -- The sex life of the whiptail lizard -- Set the controls for the heart of the sun : the strange story of the missing solar neutrinos -- Putting the golem to work -- Golem and the scientists.

Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch liken science to the Golem, a creature from Jewish mythology, powerful yet potentially dangerous, a gentle, helpful creature that may yet run amok at any moment. Through a series of intriguing case studies the authors debunk the traditional view that science is the straightforward result of competent theorisation, observation and experimentation. The very well-received first edition generated much debate, reflected in a substantial new Afterword in this second edition, which seeks to place the book in what have become known as 'the science wars'.