Edited by Valia Allori (NHC Fellow, 2017–18), Angelo Bassi, Detlef Dürr, and Nino Zanghi This book is a tribute to the scientific legacy of GianCarlo Ghirardi, who was one of the most influential scientists in the field of modern foundations of quantum theory. In this appraisal, contributions from friends, collaborators and colleagues reflect the influence … Continued
By Helmut Müller-Sievers (NHC Fellow, 1994–95) The genealogy and function of epigenesis—the theory that organisms generate themselves under the guidance of a formative drive—provides a unique means of understanding the profound changes in philosophy, philosophy of language, and literature at the turn of the nineteenth century. The book begins by describing how and why epigenesis … Continued
Edited by Julie Candler Hayes (NHC Fellow, 2004–05) and Judith P. Zinsser Until recently, the marquise Du Châtelet (1706-1749) was more remembered as the companion of Voltaire than as an intellectual in her own right. While much has been written about his extraordinary output during the years he spent in her company, her own work … Continued
Edited by Valia Allori (NHC Fellow, 2017–18) The book explores several open questions in the philosophy and the foundations of statistical mechanics. Each chapter is written by a leading expert in philosophy of physics and/or mathematical physics. Here is a list of questions that are addressed in the book: Boltzmann showed how the phenomenological laws … Continued
By John Opie (NHC Fellow, 1980–81), Ian Barbour (NHC Fellow, 1980–81), Sanford A. Lakoff (NHC Fellow, 1980–81; 1981–82), and Harvey Brooks A multi-disciplinary team consisting of an engineer, a political scientist, an historian, and a professor of religion and physics view the question of energy and values from each other’s perspective. The result is a … Continued
Edited by Thomas A. Sebeok (NHC Fellow, 1980–81) and Robert Rosenthal Ever since the Byzantine Empire was ruled by Justinian there have been reports of clever animals. But no animal intelligence so captured the imagination of laymen and scholar alike as that attributed to Clever Hans, the horse of Mr. von Osten. Hans gave every … Continued
By Sally Smith Hughes (NHC Fellow, 2006–07) In the fall of 1980, Genentech, Inc., a little-known California genetic engineering company, became the overnight darling of Wall Street, raising over $38 million in its initial public stock offering. Lacking marketed products or substantial profit, the firm nonetheless saw its share price escalate from $35 to $89 … Continued
By Mi Gyung Kim (NHC Fellow, 2006–07) The hot-air balloon, invented by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783, launched for the second time just days before the Treaty of Paris would end the American Revolutionary War. The ascent in Paris—a technological marvel witnessed by a diverse crowd that included Benjamin Franklin—highlighted celebrations of French military victory … Continued
By Stephen J. Pyne (NHC Fellow, 1979–80; 2002–03) As Stephen Pyne reveals in his biography, few other scientists can match Grove Karl Gilbert’s range of talents. A premier explorer of the American West who made major contributions to the cascade of new discoveries about the earth, Gilbert described two novel forms of mountain building, invented … Continued
By Betty Jo Teeter Dobbs (NHC Fellow, 1978–79) In this major reevaluation of Isaac Newton's intellectual life, Betty Jo Teeter Dobbs shows how his pioneering work in mathematics, physics, and cosmology was intertwined with his study of alchemy. Professor Dobbs argues that to Newton those several intellectual pursuits were all ways of approaching Truth, and … Continued