PDF-[BOOK]-The Evolution of Technology (Cambridge Studies in the History of Science)

Presents an evolutionary theory of technological change based on recent scholarship in the history of technology and on relevant material drawn from economic history and anthropology Challenges the popular notion that technological advances arise from the efforts of a few heroic individuals who produce a series of revolutionary inventions that owe little or nothing to the technological past Therefore the books argument is shaped by analogies drawn selectively from the theory of organic evolution and not from the theory and practice of political revolution Three themes appear with variations throughout the study The first is diversity an acknowledgment of the vast numbers of different kinds of made things artifacts that long have been available to humanity The second theme is necessity the mistaken belief that humans are driven to invent new artifacts in order to meet basic biological needs such as food shelter and defense And the third theme is technological evolution an organic analogy that explains both the emergence of the novel artifacts and their subsequent selection by society for incorporation into its material life without invoking either biological necessity or technological process. “. To improve the knowledge of . naturall. things, and all useful Arts, Manufactures, Mechanic practices, Engines and Inventions by Experiment. .”. Robert Hooke (1635-1703). Early History of Science and the Scientific Revolution. Dr Julia McClure. A brief introduction to intellectual history. History of Ideas (Arthur Lovejoy and ‘unit-ideas’). Begriffsgeschichte.  (history of concepts). Intellectual History. Cambridge School (text in context). Spider monkeys are one of the most widespread New World primate genera, ranging from southern Mexico to Bolivia. Although they are common in zoos, spider monkeys are traditionally very difficult to study in the wild, because they are fast moving, live high in the canopy and are almost always found in small subgroups that vary in size and composition throughout the day. The past decade has seen an expansion in research being carried out on this genus and this book is an assimilation of both published and previously unpublished research. It is a comprehensive source of information for academic researchers and graduate students interested in primatology, evolutionary anthropology and behavioral ecology and covers topics such as taxonomy, diet, sexuality and reproduction, and conservation. Science and the Enlightenment is a general history of eighteenth-century science covering both the physical and life sciences. It places the scientific developments of the century in the cultural context of the Enlightenment and reveals the extent to which scientific ideas permeated the thought of the age. The book takes advantage of topical scholarship, which is rapidly changing our understanding of science during the eighteenth century. In particular it describes how science was organized into fields that were quite different from those we know today. Professor Hankins\'s work is a much needed addition to the literature on eighteenth-century science. His study is not technical it will be of interest to all students of the Enlightenment and the history of science, as well as to the general reader with some background in science. \"
On May 25, 1961, President John Kennedy declared:  “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.” Over his remaining time in the White House, JFK actively involved himself in space decisions and several times reviewed his decision to go to the Moon, each time concluding that the benefits of being the leader in space outweighed the massive costs of the lunar landing enterprise. Logsdon traces the evolution of JFK\'s thinking and policy up until his assassination, which brought to an end his reexamination of the program\'s goal and schedule and his hope to collaborate, rather than compete, with the Soviet Union in going to the Moon. This study, based on extensive research in primary documents and archival interviews with key members of the Kennedy administration, is the definitive examination of John Kennedy’s role in sending Americans to the Moon.
\" This volume in the highly respected Cambridge History of Science series is devoted to the history of science in the Middle Ages from the North Atlantic to the Indus Valley. Medieval science was once universally dismissed as non-existent and sometimes it still is. This volume reveals the diversity of goals, contexts, and accomplishments in the study of nature during the Middle Ages. Organized by topic and culture, its essays by distinguished scholars offer the most comprehensive and up-to-date history of medieval science currently available. Intended to provide a balanced and inclusive treatment of the medieval world, contributors consider scientific learning and advancement in the cultures associated with the Arabic, Greek, Latin, and Hebrew languages. Scientists, historians, and other curious readers will all gain a new appreciation for the study of nature during an era that is often misunderstood. This introduction to the history of science in the seventeenth century examines the so-called \'scientific revolution\' in terms of the interplay between two major themes. The Platonic-Pythagorean tradition looked on nature in geometric terms with the conviction that the cosmos was constructed according to the principles of mathematical order, while the mechanical philosophy conceived of nature as a huge machine and sought to explain the hidden mechanisms behind phenomena. Pursuing different goals, these two movements of thought tended to conflict with each other, and more than the obviously mathematical sciences were affected - the influence spread as far as chemistry and the life sciences. As this book demonstrates, the full fruition of the scientific revolution required a resolution of the tension between the two dominant trends. This volume offers to general and specialist readers alike the fullest and most complete survey of the development of science in the eighteenth century. It is designed to be read as both a narrative and an interpretation, and also to be used as a work of reference. While prime attention is paid to Western science, space is also given to science in traditional cultures and to colonial science. The contributors, world leaders in their respective specialties, engage with current historiographical and methodological controversies and strike out positions of their own. Science and the Enlightenment is a general history of eighteenth-century science covering both the physical and life sciences. It places the scientific developments of the century in the cultural context of the Enlightenment and reveals the extent to which scientific ideas permeated the thought of the age. The book takes advantage of topical scholarship, which is rapidly changing our understanding of science during the eighteenth century. In particular it describes how science was organized into fields that were quite different from those we know today. Professor Hankins\'s work is a much needed addition to the literature on eighteenth-century science. His study is not technical it will be of interest to all students of the Enlightenment and the history of science, as well as to the general reader with some background in science. \"
On May 25, 1961, President John Kennedy declared:  “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.” Over his remaining time in the White House, JFK actively involved himself in space decisions and several times reviewed his decision to go to the Moon, each time concluding that the benefits of being the leader in space outweighed the massive costs of the lunar landing enterprise. Logsdon traces the evolution of JFK\'s thinking and policy up until his assassination, which brought to an end his reexamination of the program\'s goal and schedule and his hope to collaborate, rather than compete, with the Soviet Union in going to the Moon. This study, based on extensive research in primary documents and archival interviews with key members of the Kennedy administration, is the definitive examination of John Kennedy’s role in sending Americans to the Moon.
\" This volume in the highly respected Cambridge History of Science series is devoted to the history of science in the Middle Ages from the North Atlantic to the Indus Valley. Medieval science was once universally dismissed as non-existent and sometimes it still is. This volume reveals the diversity of goals, contexts, and accomplishments in the study of nature during the Middle Ages. Organized by topic and culture, its essays by distinguished scholars offer the most comprehensive and up-to-date history of medieval science currently available. Intended to provide a balanced and inclusive treatment of the medieval world, contributors consider scientific learning and advancement in the cultures associated with the Arabic, Greek, Latin, and Hebrew languages. Scientists, historians, and other curious readers will all gain a new appreciation for the study of nature during an era that is often misunderstood. Engineering Victory brings a fresh approach to the question of why the North prevailed in the Civil War. Historian Thomas F. Army, Jr., identifies strength in engineering—not superior military strategy or industrial advantage—as the critical determining factor in the war’s outcome.Army finds that Union soldiers were able to apply scientific ingenuity and innovation to complex problems in a way that Confederate soldiers simply could not match. Skilled Free State engineers who were trained during the antebellum period benefited from basic educational reforms, the spread of informal educational practices, and a culture that encouraged learning and innovation. During the war, their rapid construction and repair of roads, railways, and bridges allowed Northern troops to pass quickly through the forbidding terrain of the South as retreating and maneuvering Confederates struggled to cut supply lines and stop the Yankees from pressing any advantage.By presenting detailed case studies from both theaters of the war, Army clearly demonstrates how the soldiers’ education, training, and talents spelled the difference between success and failure, victory and defeat. He also reveals massive logistical operations as critical in determining the war’s outcome. This introduction to the history of science in the seventeenth century examines the so-called \'scientific revolution\' in terms of the interplay between two major themes. The Platonic-Pythagorean tradition looked on nature in geometric terms with the conviction that the cosmos was constructed according to the principles of mathematical order, while the mechanical philosophy conceived of nature as a huge machine and sought to explain the hidden mechanisms behind phenomena. Pursuing different goals, these two movements of thought tended to conflict with each other, and more than the obviously mathematical sciences were affected - the influence spread as far as chemistry and the life sciences. As this book demonstrates, the full fruition of the scientific revolution required a resolution of the tension between the two dominant trends. This volume offers to general and specialist readers alike the fullest and most complete survey of the development of science in the eighteenth century. It is designed to be read as both a narrative and an interpretation, and also to be used as a work of reference. While prime attention is paid to Western science, space is also given to science in traditional cultures and to colonial science. The contributors, world leaders in their respective specialties, engage with current historiographical and methodological controversies and strike out positions of their own.