Bragg's: Dynamic father and son team

William and Lawrence Bragg, Father and Son: The Most Extraordinary Collaboration in Science

by

John Jenkin

ISBN-10: 0199235201
ISBN-13: 978-0199235209

The book is well written and gives a great sense of the changing times as the discoveries were made. The book has been thoughtfully and thoroughly researched...The level of detail especially about [the Bragg's] personal lives shows the considerable time and effort the author took in putting together this interesting and well-written book. The book would certainly appeal to any reader interested in the history or science or the research work of William and Lawrence Bragg. The personal accounts set the book apart and give the reader a feel for who William and Lawrence were and the journeys they underwent.--Scope


Lawrence Bragg...people's scientist

Value of "history of science"

If you don't believe that studying the "history of science" is of value, then read these three preprint papers.


Jane Maienschein and George Smith

Abstract:

This essay opens up the question of what difference the history of science makes. What is the value of the history of science, beyond its role as an academic pursuit that we historians of science know and love? It introduces the set of essays that follow as explorations that grew out of a seminar on this topic and that arise from the authors’ particular concerns both that historians of science do not work hard enough to make their work of value and that others do not know of the potential. That seminar, at the Marine Biological Laboratory, was funded for nineteen years by the Dibner Institute and last year by Brent Dibner. It will continue and carry such discussions forward in new ways as the Arizona State University–Marine Biological Laboratory History of Biology Seminar Series. This set of focused essays seeks to invite lively discussion and response.

What Difference Does History of Science Make, Anyway?

Jane Maienschein, Manfred Laubichler, and Andrea Loettgers

Abstract:

History of science has developed into a methodologically diverse discipline, adding greatly to our understanding of the interplay between science, society, and culture. Along the way, one original impetus for the then newly emerging discipline-what George Sarton called the perspective “from the point of view of the scientist”- dropped out of fashion. This essay shows, by means of several examples, that reclaiming this interaction between science and history of science yields interesting perspectives and new insights for both science and history of science. The authors consequently suggest that historians of science also adopt this perspective as part of their methodological repertoire.

How Can History of Science Matter to Scientists?

Zuoyue Wang and Naomi Oreskes

Abstract:

Historians of science have participated actively in debates over American science policy in the post-World War II period in a variety of ways, but their impact has been more to elucidate general concepts than to effect specific policy changes. Personal experiences, in the case of the debate over global warming, have demonstrated both the value and the limits of such involvement for the making of public policy. To be effective, historians of science need to strive for clarity in public expression, to accept the importance of engaging with the public at all levels and through diverse media, and, above all, to recognize that the nature of such debates will make normal scholarly nuance hard to achieve. Moreover, in the current political climate, historians may be surprised to find themselves defending sciences, when the usual stance of historians is to be critical.

History of Science and American Science Policy

Alchemy

Nicolas Flamel
1330-1418
[Incidentally, his house still exists and is considered the oldest building in Paris]

I just want to draw your attention to the very early chemists and physicists--the "alchemists". Yes, they were shrouded in mystery and branded as individuals solely focused on changing lead into gold, and some were, but for the most part these people were interested in the fundamental composition of matter. Don't overlook these creative individuals.

This is a superb site on alchemy and alchemists.

Over 150 megabytes online of information on alchemy in all its facets. Divided into over 2400 sections and providing tens of thousands of pages of text, over 2500 images, over 240 complete alchemical texts, extensive bibliographical material on the printed books and manuscripts, numerous articles, introductory and general reference material on alchemy.

The Alchemy Web Site

History/philosophy of science...I think so!

This is a huge problem today...so few scientists have a history of their profession. Robert Thornton who had recently received his Ph.D. and was preparing his teaching material at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez in 1944 wrote Einstein a letter. Thornton's question was simple and relevant: Is it worthy to introduce as much history of science and philosophy of science as possible into the realm of modern physics.

Einstein's answer [December 1944]:

I fully agree with you about the significance and educational value of methodology as well as history and philosophy of science. So many people today -- and even professional scientists -- seem to me like somebody who has seen thousands of trees but has never seen a forest. A knowledge of the historic and philosophical background gives that kind of independence from prejudices of his generation from which most scientists are suffering. This independence created by philosophical insight is -- in my opinion -- the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker after truth.

Nothing new from Einstein for in 1916, Einstein wrote a memorial note for Ernst Mach:

How does it happen that a properly endowed natural scientist comes to concern himself with epistemology? Is there no more valuable work in his specialty? I hear many of my colleagues saying, and I sense it from many more, that they feel this way. I cannot share this sentiment. When I think about the ablest students whom I have encountered in my teaching, that is, those who distinguish themselves by their independence of judgment and not merely their quick-wittedness, I can affirm that they had a vigorous interest in epistemology. They happily began discussions about the goals and methods of science, and they showed unequivocally, through their tenacity in defending their views, that the subject seemed important to them. Indeed, one should not be surprised at this.

Concepts that have proven useful in ordering things easily achieve such an authority over us that we forget their earthly origins and accept them as unalterable givens. Thus they come to be stamped as "necessities of thought," "a priori givens," etc. The path of scientific advance is often made impassable for a long time through such errors. For that reason, it is by no means an idle game if we become practiced in analyzing the long commonplace concepts and exhibiting those circumstances upon which their justification and usefulness depend, how they have grown up, individually, out of the givens of experience. By this means, their all-too-great authority will be broken. They will be removed if they cannot be properly legitimated, corrected if their correlation with given things be far too superfluous, replaced by others if a new system can be established that we prefer for whatever reason.

Physics [and indeed all sciences] can be misguided and troubled with problems without a clear perspective of history and philosophy of science.