One must imagine Faust happy

The prism of the philosopher appears again and again in scientific commentary. We've always been fascinated with the relationship between knowledge and power. Still, while philosophical treatments are perhaps more systematic, for Michael D. Gordin, the way this plays out in history and literature is much more alluring. From Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to the treatment of scientists in the Soviet Union, he discusses the story of the medieval scholar Faust and the perils of human temptation to wisdom.