How Scientific Theories are Confirmed: A History of Atomic Theories of Matter

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This project addresses the question of how scientific theories are confirmed by experiment - a fundamentally important aspect of philosophy of science and science itself - that has yet to be definitively answered. The research will explore the evolution of atomic theories of matter, from speculation in the seventeenth century to precise versions that were confirmed by experiment in the twentieth. This research represents a much-needed combining of history and philosophy in this field. It will advance the understanding of how theories in the physical sciences are confirmed in a way that is anchored in an investigation of actual scientific practice.