Scientifica historica : how the world's great science books chart the history of knowledge

Background to modern science; ten lectures at Cambridge arranged by the History of science committee, 1936,

The Cambridge library of modern science; general editor: C.P. Snow

Cambridge library of modern science.

Climate in motion : science, empire, and the problem of scale

Climate and empire -- The Habsburgs and the collection of nature -- The Austrian idea -- The imperial-royal scientist -- The dual task -- The face of the empire -- The invention of climatography -- The power of local differences -- Planetary disturbances -- The forest-climate question -- The floral archive -- Landscapes of desire -- After empire.

Science : a many-splendored thing

Is Science important? -- Why is Science important? -- What is Science? -- In what ways is Science like a map? -- Science and Culture -- What is the principal difference between Science and other human activities? -- Philosophical and Methodological Aspects of Science -- Scientific community (SC) -- Example of the Scientific Community's role -- Peer review and reward systems -- The peer review system -- Routes to scientific discovery and selection of research problem -- General characteristics of Science -- The cycle of scientific activities -- Scientific language -- Metaphors -- Laws of Nature -- Models and theories -- Distinguishing between Theory and Truth -- Possible methodological errors in Science -- General or universal statements -- Singular statements -- Types of scientific arguments -- Critical thinking in Science and everyday life -- Incorrect logical arguments (fallacies) -- Experimental Design and Scientific Evidence -- How does the shape of the kettle affect the time required to boil water? -- How does the electrical resistance affect the boiling time? -- Measurement errors -- Sampling -- Pseudo-science (PS) -- Creationism's objections to evolutionary theory (ET) -- Creationist and scientific methodologies -- Driving forces of Creationism -- Scientific Knowledge -- The span of scientific knowledge -- Reductionism, determinism and irreversibility -- Methodological reductionism -- Ontological reductionism -- Maps and complementary knowledge -- Determinism and reductionism -- Holism -- Scientific knowledge and Philosophy of Science -- Falsification cycle -- Do Scientists attempt to falsify theories? -- The causes of pathological Science and how to avoid it? -- The validity of scientific results -- Caveats -- Sociological and Ethical Aspects of Science -- Is Science value-neutral? -- Science in Ethics -- Ethics in Science -- Ethical standards pertaining to Science: -- Misconduct in Science: -- Why does misconduct in Science matter? -- Societal support for modern Science -- Motivation of Scientists -- Scientists in Society -- Science, Technology and Applied Science -- Science impacts on Society -- Society's impact on Science -- Science and public policy -- climate change -- Is global warming prediction true? -- Science, Risk and Evidence -- Science and History -- Mathematics -- Civil and military engineering -- Combined tradition -- The heliocentric vs. geocentric model debate -- Examples of Scientific Development: China, Europe -- Scientific Revolution in W. Europe (16th-18th century) -- Astronomy and mechanics -- Medicine & optics -- Chemistry -- Broader consequences of scientific revolution: -- New relationship between Science and Technology -- Societal support for Modern Science -- The future of Science -- Potential causes of scientific decline -- Religious fundamentalism -- Political fundamentalism -- Economic fundamentalism -- Limits of Science -- Human and social limits -- Technological limits -- Cosmological limits -- Logical/mathematical limits -- Science in Action-Case studies -- Case Study 1: Theories of combustion -- The inadequacies of phlogiston theory -- What can we learn from Case Study 1? -- What can we learn from Case Study 2? -- Weapons of mass destruction -- The Two Scientists -- What can we learn from Case Study 3?