Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder

Richard Dawkins

Science

Dawkins argues that scientific understanding deepens rather than diminishes the wonder and beauty of the natural world, responding to Keats's complaint that Newton destroyed the poetry of the rainbow by explaining it. He explores topics such as light, sound, superstition, statistics, and the human capacity for pattern-seeking. The book is a defense of science as a source of awe and aesthetic appreciation.