Thomas L. Hankins's Books

Science and the Enlightenment

By: Thomas L. Hankins

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Science and the Enlightenment

By: Thomas L. Hankins

This book is a general history of eighteenth-century developments in physical and life sciences.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

228

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0521286190

ISBN 13

9780521286190

Instruments and the Imagination

By: Thomas L. Hankins,Robert J. Silverman

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Instruments and the Imagination

By: Thomas L. Hankins,Robert J. Silverman

Thomas Hankins and Robert Silverman investigate an array of instruments from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century that seem at first to be marginal to science--magnetic clocks that were said to operate by the movements of sunflower seeds, magic lanterns, ocular harpsichords (machines that played different colored lights in harmonious mixtures), Aeolian harps (a form of wind chime), and other instruments of "natural magic" designed to produce wondrous effects. By looking at these and the first recording instruments, the stereoscope, and speaking machines, the authors show that "scientific instruments" first made their appearance as devices used to evoke wonder in the beholder, as in works of magic and the theater. The authors also demonstrate that these instruments, even though they were often "tricks," were seen by their inventors as more than trickery. In the view of Athanasius Kircher, for instance, the sunflower clock was not merely a hoax, but an effort to demonstrate, however fraudulently, his truly held belief that the ability of a flower to follow the sun was due to the same cosmic magnetic influence as that which moved the planets and caused the rotation of the earth. The marvels revealed in this work raise and answer questions about the connections between natural science and natural magic, the meaning of demonstration, the role of language and the senses in science, and the connections among art, music, literature, and natural science. Originally published in 1995. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

352

Publisher

Princeton University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1400864119

ISBN 13

9781400864119

The History and Poetics of Scientific Biography

By: Thomas Söderqvist

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The History and Poetics of Scientific Biography

By: Thomas Söderqvist

Biographies of scientists carry an increasingly prominent role in today's publishing climate. Traditional historical and sociological accounts of science are complemented by narratives that emphasize the importance of the scientific subject in the production of science. Not least is the realization that the role of science in culture is much more accessible when presented through the lives of its practitioners. Taken as a genre, such biographies play an important role in the public understanding of science. In recent years there has been an increasing number of monographs and collections about biography in general and literary biography in particular. However, biographies of scientists, engineers and medical doctors have rarely been the topic of scholarly inquiry. As such this volume of essays will be welcomed by those interested in the genre of science biography, and who wish to re-examine its history, foundational problems and theoretical implications. Borrowing approaches and methods from cultural studies and the history, philosophy and sociology of science, the contributions cover a broad range of subjects, periods and locations. By presenting such a rich diversity of essays, the volume is able to chart the reoccurring conceptual problems and devices that have influenced scientific biographies from classical antiquity to the present day. In so doing it provides a compelling overview of the history of the genre, suggesting that the different valuations given scientific biography over time have been largely fuelled by vested professional interests.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

318

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317028899

ISBN 13

9781317028895

The Historiography of Contemporary Science, Technology, and Medicine

Writing Recent Science

By: Ronald E. Doel,Thomas Söderqvist

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The Historiography of Contemporary Science, Technology, and Medicine

Writing Recent Science

By: Ronald E. Doel,Thomas Söderqvist

Bringing together authorities on the history, historiography and methodology of recent and contemporary science, this book reviews the problems facing historians of technology, contemporary science and medicine and explores new ways forward.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

332

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1134482973

ISBN 13

9781134482979

Book's by Thomas L. Hankins

Science and the Enlightenment

Science and the Enlightenment

Instruments and the Imagination

Instruments and the Imagination

The History and Poetics of Scientific Biography

The History and Poetics of Scientific Biography

The Historiography of Contemporary Science, Technology, and Medicine

The Historiography of Contemporary Science, Technology, and Medicine

Username

Password

Username

Password

Password again

Birthday

Email