Description
Book SynopsisA large-scale historical look at the implementation of the scientific method, and how scientific theories come to be accepted.
Trade ReviewMaking Twentieth Century Science is certain to become a definitive history of scientific theory choice. * Joseph D. Martin, Isis Journal *
Brushs book is a good and useful reading foreverybody interested in learning something about the workings of current science, but, for the same reasons, it is almost mandatory for those dealing with science education. * Olival Freire Jr, Science and Education *
Table of ContentsTable of Contents ; Illustrations ; Preface ; PART I THE RECEPTION AND EVALUATION OF THEORIES IN THE SCIENCES ; Chapter I.1 Who Needs "The Scientific Method"? ; I.1.1 The Rings of Uranus ; I.1.2 Maxwell and Popper ; I.1.3 What is a "Prediction"? A Mercurial Definition ; I.1.4 Hierarchy and Demarcation ; I.1.5 What's Wrong with Quantum Mechanics? ; I.1.6 Was Chemistry (1865-1980) more scientific than Physics? ; Mendeleev's Periodic Law ; I.1.7 Scientific Chemists: Benzene and Molecular Orbitals ; I.1.8 The Unscientific (but very successful) method of Dirac and Einstein: ; Can We Trust Experiments to Test Theories? ; I.1.9 Why was Bibhas De's paper rejected by Icarus? ; I.1.10 The Plurality of Scientific Methods ; Persons mentioned in this Chapter ; Chapter I.2 Reception Studies by Historians of Science ; I.2.1 What is "Reception"? ; I.2.2 The Copernican Heliocentric System ; I.2.3 Newton's Universal Gravity ; I.2.4 Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection ; I.2.5 Bohr Model of the Atom ; I.2.6 Conclusions and Generalizations ; Persons mentioned in this Chapter ; Chapter I.3 The Role of Prediction-Testing in the Evaluation of Theories: ; A Controversy in the Philosophy of Science ; I.3.1 Introduction ; I.3.2 Novelty in the Philosophy of Science ; I.3.3 What is a Prediction? (Revisited) ; I.3.4 Does Novelty Make a Difference? ; I.3.5 Evidence from case histories ; I.3.6 Are Theorists less trustworthy than Observers? ; I.3.7 The Fallacy of Falsifiability: Even the Supreme Court was Fooled ; I.3.8 Conclusions ; Persons mentioned in this chapter ; Chapter I.4 The Rise and Fall of Social Constructionism 1975-2000 ; I.4.1 The Problem of defining "Science and Technology Studies" ; I.4.2 The Rise of Social Constructionism ; I.4.3 The Fall of Social Constructionism ; I.4.4 Post Mortem ; I.4.5 Consequences for "Science Studies" ; Persons mentioned in this Chapter ; PART II ATOMS, MOLECULES, AND PARTICLES ; Chapter II.1. Mendeleev's Periodic Law ; II.1.1 Mendeleev and the Periodic Law ; II.1.2 Novel Predictions ; II.1.3 Mendeleev's Predictions ; II.1.4 Reception by Whom? ; II.1.5 Tests of Mendeleev's Predictions ; II.1.6 Before the Discovery of Gallium ; II.1.7 The Impact of Gallium and Scandium ; II.1.8 The Limited Value of Novel Predictions ; II.1.9 Implications of the Law ; II.1.10 Conclusions ; Persons mentioned in this chapter ; Chapter II.2 The Benzene Problem 1865-1930 ; II.2.1 Kekule's Theory ; II.2.2 The first Tests of Kekule's Theory ; II.2.3 Alternative Hypotheses ; II.2.4 Reception of Benzene Theories 1866-1880 ; II.2.5 New Experiments, New Theories 1881-1900 ; II.2.6 The Failure of Aromatic Empiricism 1901-1930 ; Persons mentioned in this Chapter ; Chapter II.3 The Light Quantum Hypothesis ; II.3.1 Black-Body Radiation ; II.3.2 Planck's Theory ; II.3.3 Formulation of the Light-Quantum Hypothesis ; II.3.4 The Wave Theory of Light ; II.3.5 Einstein's "Heuristic Viewpoint" ; II.3.6 What did Millikan Prove? ; II.3.7 The Compton Effect ; II.3.8 Reception of Neo-Newtonian Optics before 1923 ; II.3.9 The Impact of Compton's Discovery ; II.3.10 Rupp's Fraudulent Experiments ; II.3.11 Conclusions ; Persons Mentioned in this Chapter ; Chapter II.4 Quantum Mechanics ; II.4.1 The Bohr Model ; II.4.2 The Wave Nature of Matter ; II.4.3 Schrodinger's Wave Mechanics ; II.4.4 The Exclusion Principle, Spin, and the Electronic Structure of Atoms ; II.4.5 Bose-Einstein Statistics ; II.4.6 Fermi-Dirac Statistics ; II.4.7 Initial Reception of Quantum Mechanics ; II.4.8 The Community is Converted ; II.4.9 Novel Predictions of Quantum Mechanics ; II.4.10 The Helium Atom ; II.4.11 Reasons for accepting Quantum Mechanics after 1928 ; Persons mentioned in this Chapter ; II. 5 New Particles ; II.5.1 Dirac's Prediction and Anderson's Discovery of the Positron ; II.5.2 The Reception of Dirac's Theory ; II.5.3 The Transformation of Dirac's Theory ; II.5.4 Yukawa's Theory of Nuclear Forces ; II.5.5 Discovery of the Muon and Reception of Yukawa's Theory ; II.5.6 The Transformation of the Yukon ; II.5.7 Conclusions ; Persons Mentioned in this Chapter ; Chapter II.6 Benzene and Molecular Orbitals 1931-1980 ; II.6.1 Resonance, Mesomerism, and the Mule 1931-1945 ; II.6.2 Reception of Quantum Theories of Benzene 1932-1940 ; II.6.3 Chemical Proof of Kekule's Theory ; II.6.4 Anti-Resonance and the Rhinoceros ; II.6.5 The Shift to Molecular Orbitals after 1950 ; II.6.6 Aromaticity ; II.6.7 The Revival of Predictive Chemistry ; II.6.8 Reception of Molecular Orbital Theory by Organic Chemists ; II.6.9 Adoption of MO in Textbooks ; II.6.10 A 1996 Survey ; II.6.11 Conclusions ; Persons Mentioned in this Chapter ; PART III SPACE AND TIME ; Chapter III.1. Relativity ; III.1.1 The Special Theory of Relativity ; III.1.2 General Theory of Relativity ; III.1.3 Empirical Predictions and Explanations ; III.1.4 Social-Psychological Factors ; III.1.5 Aesthetic-Mathematical Factors ; III.1.6 Early Reception of Relativity ; III.1.7 Do Scientists Give Extra Credit for Novelty? The Case of ; Gravitational Light Bending ; III.1.8 Are Theorists less Trustworthy than Observers? ; III.1.9 Mathematical/Aesthertic Reasons for Accepting Relativity ; III.1.10 Social-Psychological Reasons for Accepting Relativity ; III.1.11 A Statistical Summary of Comparative Reception ; III.1.12 Conclusions ; Persons Mentioned in this Chapter ; Chapter III.2. Big Bang Cosmology ; III.2.1 The Expanding Universe is Proposed ; III.2.2 The Age of the Earth ; III.2.3 The Context for the Debate: Four "New Sciences" ; and One Shared Memory ; III.2.4 Cosmology Constrained by Terrestrial Time ; III.2.5 Hubble Doubts the Expanding Universe ; III.2.6 A Radical Solution: Steady-State Cosmology ; III.2.7 Astronomy Blinks: Slowing the Expansion ; III.2.8 Lemaitre's Primeval Atom and Gamow's Big Bang ; III.2.9 Arguments for Steady State Weaken ; III.2.10 The Temperature of Space ; III.2.11 Discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background ; III.2.12 Impact of the Discovery on Cosmologists ; III.2.13 Credit for the Prediction ; III.2.14 Conclusions ; Persons mentioned in this Chapter ; PART IV HEREDITY AND EVOLUTION ; Chapter IV.1 Morgan's Chromosome Theory ; IV.1.1 Introduction ; IV.1.2 Is Biology like (Hypothetico-Deductive) Physics? ; IV.1.3 Precursors ; IV.1.4 Morgan's Theory ; IV.1.5 The Problem of Universality ; IV.1.6 Morgan's Theory in Research Journals ; IV.1.7 Important Early Supporters ; IV.1.8 Bateson and the Morgan Theory in Britain ; IV.1.9 The Problem of Universality Revisited ; IV.1.10 Books and Review Articles on Genetics, Evolution and Cytology ; IV.1.11 Biology Textbooks ; IV.1.12 Age Distribution of Supporters and Opponents ; IV.1.13 Conclusions ; Persons mentioned in this Chapter ; Chapter IV.2 The Revival of Natural Selection 1930-1970 ; IV.2.1 Introduction ; IV.2.2 Fisher: A new Language for Evolutionary Research ; IV.2.3 Wright: Random Genetic Drift, A Concept Out of Control ; IV.2.4 Haldane: A Mathematical-Philosophical Biologist Weighs in ; IV.2.5 Early Reception of the Theory ; IV.2.6 Dobzhansky: The Faraday of Biology? ; IV.2.7 Evidence for Natural Selection, before 1941 ; IV.2.8 Huxley: A New Synthesis is Proclaimed ; IV.2.9 Mayr: Systematics and the Founder Principle ; IV.2.10 Simpson: No Straight and Narrow Path for Paleontology ; IV.2.11 Stebbins: Plants are also Selected ; IV.2.12 Chromosome Inversions in Drosophila ; IV.2.13 Ford: Unlucky Blood Groups ; IV.2.14 Resistance to Antibiotics ; IV.2.15 Two "Great Debates": Snails and Tiger Moths ; IV.2.16 Selection and/or Drift? The Changing Views of Dobzhansky and Wright ; IV.2.17 The Views of other Founders and Leaders ; IV.2.18 The Peppered Moth ; IV.2.19 The Triumph of Natural Selection? ; IV.2.20 Results of a Survey of Biological Publications ; IV.2.21 Is Evolutionary Theory Scientific? ; IV.2.22 Context and Conclusions ; Persons mentioned in this Chapter ; PART V CONCLUSIONS ; Chapter V.1 Which Works Faster: Prediction or Explanation? ; V.1.1 Comparison of Cases Presented in this Book ; V.1.2 From Princip to Principe ; V.1.3 Can Explanation be Better than Prediction? ; V.1.4 Special Theory of Relativity: Explaining "Nothing" ; V.1.5 The Old Quantum theory: Many Things are Predicted, but Few are Explained ; V.1.6 Quantum Mechanics: Many Things are Explained, Predictions are Confirmed too late ; V.1.7 Millikan's Walk ; Notes for Part I ; Notes for Part II ; Notes for Part III ; Notes for Part IV ; Notes for Part V ; Selected Bibliography: Includes works cited more than once in a chapter ; Index
