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The ICE-theory of technical functions

Houkes, Wybo and Vermaas, Pieter E.: Technical functions: On the use and design of artefacts. Dordrecht: Springer, 2010, viii+175pp, €99.95 HB

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Raoul Gervais (Ghent University) for his comments on each contribution.

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Correspondence to E. Weber.

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Weber, E., Reydon, T.A.C., Boon, M. et al. The ICE-theory of technical functions. Metascience 22, 23–44 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11016-012-9642-9

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