Spirits, Serpents & Skills: Science at the Margins in the Age of Darwin

灵、蛇

• 批准号: 9906085
• 负责人: Sherrie Lyons
• 金额: $ 4.1万
• 依托单位: Individual Award
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-09-15 至 2000-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9906085&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Spirits; Serpents; & Skills; Science

As part of this project the investigator is continuing the research and writing required to produce a book tentatively titled Spirits. Serpents, and Skulls: Science at the Margins in the Age of Darwin, being prepared under contract from Johns Hopkins University Press as part of its new series: Introductory Studies in the History of Science. The press has initiated this series because very little has been written at an introductory level in the history of science. We live in a culture where science permeates virtually every aspect of our lives. However, most people are woefully ignorant of what distinguishes science from other types of knowledge and they lack any sense of the historical development of scientific ideas. This project uses three historical case studies -- phrenology, spiritualism, and sea serpents -- to address these issues within the context of Darwin's theory of evolution. It also will illustrate how history is useful for understanding the present by exploring questions that these earlier episodes raise for present day research.Professionals within the discipline need to make an effort to have their work reach a broader audience. This book will contribute to the education of students and the general public by providing highly entertaining and accessible material to discuss a variety of important questions concerning the theory, practice, and content of science. However, this work is not merely to make accessible what is already known. There are several aspects of the project which are quite original. First, to use evolutionary theory as the connecting link for these 3 examples of marginal science is a novel idea that will further our understanding of the Victorian era as well as of the nature of scientific practice. Furthermore, the treatment of evolution differs from earlier studies that do not usually see natural selection as a marginal science. The research on sea serpents is original and this project will allow the author to write up those results. While most scholars have dealt with one specific example of "pseudo-science," the comparative approach will allow the author to explore in depth the interest in marginal sciences as a 19th century phenomena. Finally, to explore the relevance of these historical episodes for present day research is an original idea and will contribute significantly to the ongoing discussions about the nature of science and society.

作为该项目的一部分，研究人员正在继续进行所需的研究和写作，以编写一本暂定名为“烈酒”的书。 《蛇与头骨：达尔文时代边缘的科学》根据约翰·霍普金斯大学出版社的合同编写，作为其新系列《科学史导论研究》的一部分。媒体之所以发起这个系列，是因为科学史方面的介绍性文章很少。在我们生活的文化中，科学几乎渗透到我们生活的方方面面。然而，可悲的是，大多数人对科学与其他类型知识的区别一无所知，并且对科学思想的历史发展缺乏任何认识。该项目使用三个历史案例研究——颅相学、招魂术和海蛇——在达尔文进化论的背景下解决这些问题。它还将通过探索这些早期事件为当今研究提出的问题，说明历史如何有助于理解现在。该学科的专业人士需要努力让他们的工作接触到更广泛的受众。本书将通过提供高度有趣且易于理解的材料来讨论有关科学理论、实践和内容的各种重要问题，从而为学生和公众的教育做出贡献。然而，这项工作不仅仅是为了让已知的东西变得容易理解。该项目有几个方面非常原创。首先，使用进化论作为这三个边缘科学例子的连接纽带是一个新颖的想法，它将进一步加深我们对维多利亚时代以及科学实践本质的理解。此外，进化论的处理方式与早期研究不同，早期研究通常不将自然选择视为边缘科学。对海蛇的研究是原创的，这个项目将允许作者写出这些结果。虽然大多数学者都讨论了“伪科学”的一个具体例子，但比较方法将使作者能够深入探讨边缘科学作为 19 世纪现象的兴趣。最后，探索这些历史事件与当今研究的相关性是一个原创想法，将为正在进行的关于科学和社会本质的讨论做出重大贡献。