A Tale of Seven Scientists and a New Philosophy of ScienceIn his latest book, Eric Scerri presents a completely original account of the nature of scientific progress. It consists of a holistic and unified approach in which science is seen as a living and evolving single organism. Instead of scientific revolutions featuring exceptionally gifted individuals, Scerri argues that the "little people" contribute as much as the "heroes" of science. To do this he examines seven case studies of virtually unknown chemists and physicists in the early 20th century quest to discover the structure of the atom. They include the amateur scientist Anton van den Broek who pioneered the notion of atomic number as well as Edmund Stoner a then physics graduate student who provided the seed for Pauli's Exclusion Principle. Another case is the physicist John Nicholson who is virtually unknown and yet was the first to propose the notion of quantization of angular momentum that was soon put to good use by Niels Bohr. Instead of focusing on the logic and rationality of science, Scerri elevates the role of trial and error and multiple discovery and moves beyond the notion of scientific developments being right or wrong. While criticizing Thomas Kuhn's notion of scientific revolutions he agrees with Kuhn that science is not drawn towards an external truth but is rather driven from within. The book will enliven the long-standing debate on the nature of science, which has increasingly shied away from the big question of "what is science?" |
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Abegg angular momentum argue atomic number atomic physics atomic structure atomic weight authors believe Bohr’s theory Broek Bury’s Cambridge charge Charles Bury Chemical Education chemistry chemists claim contribution E.R. Scerri Edmund Stoner electron arrangements electronic configurations elements energy evolutionary epistemology example explain fact Figure helium history of science Ibid ideas individual Kossell Kuhn Kuhn’s Lamb and Easton Langmuir later left-step table Lewis logic Main Smith Mendeleev ments Merton metal multiple discovery nature Nicholson Niels Bohr noble gas notion nucleus number of electrons orbits organic Orion nebula Oxford University Press particular Pauli periodic system periodic table Philosophical Magazine philosophy of science physicists Popper principle priority disputes proposed protoatoms published quantization quantum mechanics quantum number quantum theory quotation rationality regarded Richard Abegg ring Rutherford scheme scientific development scientific knowledge scientific progress Scientific Revolutions scientists shell spectral lines spectrum T.S. Kuhn Thomson tion Toulmin transition wrong