xvii, 531 pages ; 25 cm.

text

still image

unmediated

volume

1.Who Needs the Scientific Method? -- 1.1.The Rings of Uranus -- 1.2.Maxwell and Popper -- 1.3.What is a Prediction? A Mercurial Definition -- 1.4.Hierarchy and Demarcation -- 1.5.What's Wrong with Quantum Mechanics? -- 1.6.Was Chemistry More Scientific than Physics (1865-1980)? Mendeleev's Periodic...

3.1.Introduction -- 3.2.Novelty in the Philosophy of Science -- 3.3.What is a Prediction? (Revisited) -- 3.4.Does Novelty Make a Difference? -- 3.5.Evidence from Case Histories -- 3.6.Are Theorists Less Trustworthy Than Observers? -- 3.7.The Fallacy of Falsifiability: Even the Supreme Court Was Fool...

6.The Benzene Problem 1865-1930 -- 6.1.Kekules Theory -- 6.2.The First Tests of Kekules Theory -- 6.3.Alternative Hypotheses -- 6.4.Reception of Benzene Theories 1866-1880 -- 6.5.New Experiments, New Theories 1881-1900 -- 6.6.The Failure of Aromatic Empiricism 1901-1930 -- 7.The Light Quantum Hypoth...

8.7.Initial Reception of Quantum Mechanics -- 8.8.The Community Is Converted -- 8.9.Novel Predictions of Quantum Mechanics -- 8.10.The Helium Atom -- 8.11.Reasons for Accepting Quantum Mechanics After 1928 -- 9.New Particles -- 9.1.Dirac's Prediction and Anderson's Discovery of the Positron -- 9.2.T...

10.9.Adoption of MO in Textbooks -- 10.10.A 1996 Survey -- 10.11.Conclusions -- 11.Relativity -- 11.1.The Special Theory of Relativity -- 11.2.General Theory of Relativity -- 11.3.Empirical Predictions and Explanations -- 11.4.Social-Psychological Factors -- 11.5.Aesthetic-Mathematical Factors -- 11...

12.6.A Radical Solution: Steady-State Cosmology -- 12.7.Astronomy Blinks: Slowing the Expansion -- 12.8.Lemaitre's Primeval Atom and Gamow's Big Bang -- 12.9.Arguments for Steady-State Weaken -- 12.10.The Temperature of Space -- 12.11.Discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background -- 12.12.Impact of t...

14.The Revival of Natural Selection 1930-1970 -- 14.1.Introduction -- 14.2.Fisher: A New Language for Evolutionary Research -- 14.3.Wright: Random Genetic Drift, a Concept Out of Control -- 14.4.Haldane: A Mathematical-Philosophical Biologist Weighs In -- 14.5.Early Reception of the Theory -- 14.6.D...

14.20.Results of a Survey of Biological Publications -- 14.21.Is Evolutionary Theory Scientific? -- 14.22.Context and Conclusions -- 15.Which Works Faster: Prediction or Explanation? -- 15.1.Comparison of Cases Presented in this Book -- 15.2.From Princip to Principe -- 15.3.Can Explanation Be Better...