What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedScience and the Modern World
Alfred North Whitehead · Book · 1967
If you loved Science and the Modern World, start with Connections (James Burke, 1978) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Science and the Modern World across media.
You appreciate how Science and the Modern World traces the profound, often volatile interplay between human culture and technological evolution.
Films on the same thread
Modern Times
Film · 1936
Explores: Industrialization, Poverty, Social Criticism.
Like Science and the Modern World, this satire examines the dehumanizing pressures of industrialization and the resilience of the human spirit amidst rapid, systemic societal change.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1968
Explores: Existentialism, Human Evolution, Artificial Intelligence.
This film mirrors the philosophical inquiry found in Science and the Modern World by using a technological framework to explore fundamental questions about human existence and evolution.
Metropolis
Film · 1927
Explores: Class struggle, Industrialization, Human-machine interaction.
This work captures the same tension between industrial progress and social inequality that Whitehead dissects in Science and the Modern World, visualizing the human cost of modernity.
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1971
Explores: Free Will vs. Determinism, Societal Control, Violence and Redemption.
By focusing on the friction between societal control and individual agency, this film reflects the concerns regarding social progress that Whitehead addresses in Science and the Modern World.
Series on the same thread
Connections
James Burke · Series · 1978
Shares a thread with Science and the Modern World: History of Science.
This series functions as a practical companion to Science and the Modern World, reinforcing Whitehead’s argument that history is a non-linear web of interconnected scientific and cultural shifts.
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
Carl Sagan · Series · 1980
Explores: Cosmology, Origin of Life, Scientific History.
Sagan echoes the broad, humanist scope of Science and the Modern World, connecting our origins in the cosmos to the broader history of scientific discovery and cultural development.
The World at War
Series · 1973
Explores: World War II, Historical Account, The Holocaust.
This documentary provides the historical context for the mid-century global crises that Whitehead contemplates in Science and the Modern World, documenting the impact of technology on civilization.
Westworld
Jonathan Nolan · Series · 2016
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Existentialism, Free Will vs. Determinism.
Much like the philosophical investigations in Science and the Modern World, this show uses the prospect of artificial consciousness to challenge our definitions of morality and free will.
Podcasts on the same thread
Philosophize This!
Stephen West · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Existential inquiry, Critical thinking, Evolution of ideas.
These discussions provide the necessary historical background for the ideas explored in Science and the Modern World, tracing the evolution of thinkers who shaped our modern intellectual landscape.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Existentialism, Individual Responsibility, Cultural Critique.
This podcast explores the same intersection of individual responsibility and cultural critique found in Science and the Modern World, offering a contemporary lens on Whitehead’s foundational philosophical concerns.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What core intellectual themes does Science and the Modern World explore?
Science and the Modern World examines the history of modern science through several major intellectual themes. These include romanticism, relativity, quantum theory, religion, and various movements for social progress to show how cultural history has influenced the development of scientific thought over the ages.
Is Science and the Modern World a contemporary publication?
No, Science and the Modern World is not a contemporary publication. The book was originally published in 1925, and the version referenced here was released in 1967. It provides a historical perspective on how cultural trends have shaped the evolution of modern science throughout the twentieth century.
How does Science and the Modern World define modern science?
Science and the Modern World redefines the concept of modern science by tracing its development through history. Alfred North Whitehead argues that science cannot be understood in isolation, showing instead how it is deeply interconnected with cultural history and broader intellectual movements like romanticism and religious thought.
Does Science and the Modern World analyze the relationship between science and society?
Yes, Science and the Modern World analyzes the relationship between science and society. It illustrates how cultural history affects science over the ages, specifically focusing on how movements for social progress, religion, and other intellectual themes have shaped the modern scientific landscape since the early twentieth century.