Layered Science and Science Policies

This essay discusses the ways in which `Mode 1' and `Mode 2' interact, by reviewing the development of research funding in Sweden during the twentieth century. It argues that `Mode 2' has been the traditional mode of practice. `Mode 1' is a post-war phenomenon, but it is presently the dominant layer of Swedish publicly-funded science and science policy. This essay argues that we are seeing not an increase in uncertainty, but rather a decreasing tolerance of uncertainty.     

Science,Technology and Democracy

Science and the institutions of science are far from democratic systems,and yet they are the most democratic of regimes. This essay examinesthe demand for transparency and public participation. One can distinguishseveral levels of public influence. Their function suggests thatdecision-makers, both scientists and technocrats, are being obligedto accept and work with rules which are no longer laid down by themselves.     

上海科技馆:世界首脑聚会的地方

2001年10月,上海科技馆的红盖头终于被揭开了,作为“APEC”会议的主会场,作为世界首脑聚会的地方,它顿时成了全世界瞩目的场所。 上海科技馆是上海的标志性建筑之一,它是上海的一张“新名片”。自建成后,一直没有见之于报端和电视,红盖头一直没有揭开,给人以一种神秘感。     

The Grand Challenges Discourse: Transforming Identity Work in Science and Science Policy

This article analyzes the concept of “grand challenges” as part of a shift in how scientists and policymakers frame and communicate their respective agendas. The history of the grand challenges discourse helps to understand how identity work in science and science policy has been transformed in recent decades. Furthermore, the question is raised whether this discourse is only an indicator, or also a factor in this transformation. Building on conceptual history and historical semantics, the two parts of the article reconstruct two discursive shifts. First, the observation that in scientific communication references to “problems” are increasingly substituted by references to “challenges” indicates a broader cultural trend of how attitudes towards what is problematic have shifted in the last decades. Second, as the grand challenges discourse is rooted in the sphere of sports and competition, it introduces a specific new set of societal values and practices into the spheres of science and technology. The article concludes that this process can be characterized as the sportification of science, which contributes to self-mobilization and, ultimately, to self-optimization of the participating scientists, engineers, and policymakers.     

Disciplinary Networks and Bounding: Scientific Communication Between Science and Technology Studies and the History of Science

This article examines the communication networks within and between science and technology studies (STS) and the history of science. In particular, journal relatedness data are used to analyze some of the structural features of their disciplinary identities and relationships. The results first show that, although the history of science is more than half a century older than STS, the size of the STS network is more than twice that of the history of science network. Further, while a majority of the journals in the STS network are connected by weak ties, about half of the history of science network consists of strong ties. The history of science network is thus more cohesive than the STS network. The relatively strong cohesion within the history of science network is associated with comparatively high degrees of intra-disciplinary communication, but comparatively weak ties to only a few related disciplines. The analysis also shows that very few members of the history of science cliques are situated on the shortest path between both specialties. Moreover, given the relatively impermeable nature of the history of science network, the latter partially depends on STS to reach some of the neighboring disciplines.     

Japanese Women in Science and Technology

Women make up about ten per cent of the scientists and engineers in Japan. The aim of this essay is to make clear why, even in the year 2001, there are so few women in these disciplines. I will suggest that the socio-economic structure and gender ideology of Japan since the Second World War is responsible for this shortage which is often erroneously attributed to the cultural traditions of feudal Japan.     

中国传统的文化与科技--兼评《儒家文化与中国古代科技》

近年来 ,学术界不断讨论中国传统科技问题。主要论题有 :中国古代有没有科学 ?为什么近代科学没有产生在中国 ?中国传统文化主要是儒家文化对科学有什么样的影响 ?是阻碍还是促进 ?关于这些问题 ,在讨论“李约瑟难题”时 ,则有较多的涉及。李约瑟在深入研究中国的科学技术史中发现中国古代科技相当发达 ,特别是在十五世纪以前 ,中国科技遥遥领先 ,是西方所望尘莫及的。但是在十五世纪以后 ,世界近代科学没有产生于中国 ,却产生于西方 ,觉得不好理解 ,成为他的难题。因此称为“李约瑟难题”。这个难题成为诸多科学史界以及文化界人士关注的问…