Remote Sensing in Action

Remote Sensing in Action: The Curious Case of Sherlock Holmes and Albert Einstein (SEG Geophysical Monograph Series No. 18), by Enders A. Robinson and Dean Clark, questions a basic assumption of the scientific method — that new theories or experimental results are communicated effectively by traditional methods (e.g., presentations at professional meetings or publication in a peer-reviewed journal) — and suggests that the scientific method needs to be applied to the scientific method itself to find out if other styles of communication might work better. In a highly entertaining format, the book uses the enormously popular fictional characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to unravel and explain the historical underpinnings of remote sensing. The extended appendices guarantee that all of the science of remote sensing is included in this book of “scientific fiction.” The story covers more than 2000 years, beginning with Pythagoras in ancient Greece and ending with Einstein’s first article on relativity in 1905. Light-years beyond a traditional science textbook, this detective story set in 1905 will teach students of all ages about the exciting journey of scientific discovery.