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Growing Explanations: Historical Perspectives on Recent Science
Wise
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Description for Growing Explanations: Historical Perspectives on Recent Science
Paperback. Addresses a shift in the hierarchy of scientific explanations Editor(s): Wise, M. Norton. Series: Science & Cultural Theory. Num Pages: 360 pages, 11 figures. BIC Classification: PDA; PDX. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 236 x 149 x 23. Weight in Grams: 484.
For much of the twentieth century scientists sought to explain objects and processes by reducing them to their components—nuclei into protons and neutrons, proteins into amino acids, and so on—but over the past forty years there has been a marked turn toward explaining phenomena by building them up rather than breaking them down. This collection reflects on the history and significance of this turn toward “growing explanations” from the bottom up. The essays show how this strategy—based on a widespread appreciation for complexity even in apparently simple processes and on the capacity of computers to simulate such complexity—has played out ... Read more
For much of the twentieth century scientists sought to explain objects and processes by reducing them to their components—nuclei into protons and neutrons, proteins into amino acids, and so on—but over the past forty years there has been a marked turn toward explaining phenomena by building them up rather than breaking them down. This collection reflects on the history and significance of this turn toward “growing explanations” from the bottom up. The essays show how this strategy—based on a widespread appreciation for complexity even in apparently simple processes and on the capacity of computers to simulate such complexity—has played out ... Read more
Product Details
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2004
Publisher
Duke University Press United States
Number of pages
360
Condition
New
Series
Science & Cultural Theory
Number of Pages
360
Place of Publication
North Carolina, United States
ISBN
9780822333197
SKU
V9780822333197
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 7 to 11 working days
Ref
99-1
About Wise
M. Norton Wise is Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a coauthor of Energy and Empire: A Biographical Study of Lord Kelvin and the editor of The Values of Precision.
Reviews for Growing Explanations: Historical Perspectives on Recent Science
“Growing Explanations registers the profound shift in many domains of science—from chaos theory to functional genomics—giving epistemological priority to complex and emergent phenomena. Anyone interested in the nature of contemporary science, especially the central role of the computer, will find this a fascinating read.”—Angela N. H. Creager, Princeton University “M. Norton Wise has orchestrated a volume of cutting-edge work exploring ... Read more