Although we are used to thinking of science and the humanities as separate disciplines, in the nineteenth century this division was not recognized. As the scientist John Tyndall pointed out, not only were science and literature both striving to better "man's estate," they shared a common language and cultural heritage. The quest for "origins," the nature of the relationship between society and the individual, and what it meant to be human were subjects that occupied both the writing of scientists and novelists.
This anthology brings together a generous selection of scientific and...