Title
Revolutionary Experiments: The Quest for Immortality in Bolshevik Science and Fiction,Used
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Who are we? Where did we come from and where are we going? What is the meaning of life and death? Can we abolish death and live forever? These 'big' questions of human nature and human destiny have boggled humanity's best minds for centuries. But they assumed a particular urgency and saliency in 1920s Russia, just as the country was emerging from nearly a decade of continuous warfare, political turmoil, persistent famine, and deadly epidemics, generating an enormous variety of fantastic social, scientific, and literary experiments that sought to answer these 'perpetual' existential questions. This book investigates the interplay between actual (scientific) and fictional (literary) experiments that manipulated sex gonads in animals and humans, searched for 'rays of life' froze and thawed butterflies and bats, kept alive severed dog heads, and produced various tissue extracts (hormones), all fostering a powerful image of 'science that conquers death.' Revolutionary Experiments explores the intersection between social and scientific revolutions, documenting the rapid growth of science's funding, institutions, personnel, public resonance, and cultural authority in the aftermath of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. It examines why and how biomedical sciences came to occupy such a prominent place in the stories of numerous litterateurs and in the culture and society of postrevolutionary Russia more generally. Nikolai Krementsov argues that the collective, though not necessarily coordinated, efforts of scientists, their Bolshevik patrons, and their literary fans/critics effectively transformed specialized knowledge generated by experimental biomedical research into an influential cultural resource that facilitated the establishment of large specialized institutions, inspired numerous sciencefiction stories, displaced religious beliefs, and gave the millenniaold dream of immortality new forms and new meanings in Bolshevik Russia.
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- Q: What is the main topic of 'Revolutionary Experiments'? A: The book explores the quest for immortality through scientific and fictional experiments during the Bolshevik era in Russia, addressing existential questions about life and death.
- Q: Who is the author of 'Revolutionary Experiments'? A: The author is Nikolai Krementsov, who examines the intersection of science and literature in post-revolutionary Russia.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: The book is available in hardcover binding, which provides durability and a premium feel.
- Q: How many pages does 'Revolutionary Experiments' contain? A: The book contains 288 pages.
- Q: What year was 'Revolutionary Experiments' published? A: The book was published on December 31, 2013.
- Q: Is 'Revolutionary Experiments' a fiction or non-fiction book? A: It is a non-fiction book that discusses scientific experiments alongside literary narratives.
- Q: What themes does the book address? A: The book addresses themes such as immortality, the impact of science on society, and the cultural authority of biomedical sciences in post-revolutionary Russia.
- Q: Who would benefit from reading 'Revolutionary Experiments'? A: Readers interested in the history of science, Russian literature, and existential philosophy would find this book particularly insightful.
- Q: Does the book include any illustrations or images? A: The product details do not specify whether the book includes illustrations; it is primarily text-based.
- Q: Can I find this book in other formats apart from hardcover? A: The information provided does not mention any other formats; it is currently listed only as a hardcover edition.