Examines the role of science in the Industrial Revolution, its establishment as a popular discipline, and discoveries in the areas of atoms and the elements, chemistry, evolution, and energy.

Addressing a period in the history of science marked by great change, this volume surveys the scientific achievements that brought the development of classical science to a close and set the stage for the breakthroughs of modern science in the 20th century. Covering such scientists as Faraday, Darwin, and Pasteur and advancements in chemistry, physics, and physiology, The Age of Synthesis: 1800-1895 offers an in-depth look at the tensions and controversies over science during this period, and how society was caught in the middle of many of the disputes.