Practice and the science of medicine in the nineteenth century

A generation ago the nineteenth century was at the heart of medical historical scholarship, as the era when modem medicine was born. Over the last decade or so things have changed: other centuries vie for center stage, and former key "turning points," like hospital medicine and laboratory medicine, are now seen in terms of continuities on longer timescales. But though chronologically reframed, the modes of medicine still appear chiefly at the level of programmatic intentions, including rhetorical uses of science. This essay argues that work in this vein needs to be complemented with equal attention to the performative aspects of practice--in the clinic, in the laboratory, and in the field--and that historians of medicine still have much to learn from the "practice turn" in the history of science.     

Historical mathematics in the French eighteenth century

At least since the seventeenth century, the strange combination of epistemological certainty and ontological power that characterizes mathematics has made it a major focus of philosophical, social, and cultural negotiation. In the eighteenth century, all of these factors were at play as mathematical thinkers struggled to assimilate and extend the analysis they had inherited from the seventeenth century. A combination of educational convictions and historical assumptions supported a humanistic mathematics essentially defined by its flexibility and breadth. This mathematics was an expression of l'esprit humain, which was unfolding in a progressive historical narrative. The French Revolution dramatically altered the historical and educational landscapes that had supported this eighteenth-century approach, and within thirty years Augustin Louis Cauchy had radically reconceptualized and restructured mathematics to be rigorous rather than narrative.     

Capitalist theory and socialist practice: The organization of Chinese mathematics in the early 1950s

This article explores how the Chinese state organized scientific research in the 1950s, through a case study of mathematics. By examining the organizing process of the Chinese Mathematical Society and the establishment of the Institute of Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the article explains how a number of state agents were selected to lead national level research institutes as a means for guiding scientists in serving the needs of the state. In addition, under state corporatism, all scientists were attached to discipline-specific academic societies, forming a large hierarchy consisting of societies at different levels. When the political leaders needed to transform the agendas of the scientists, these organizations served as channels for communicating to constituent members what to do. Given this kind of organizational structure in the early days of the People’s Republic of China, it was hard to differentiate between scientists and the organizational apparatus, especially for the scientists holding top-level leadership positions. Nevertheless, this study shows that individual researchers often resisted official mandates and found ways to pursue independent research interests by employing the state's rhetoric.     

印度的科技思想与21世纪初的科技发展重点

印度是发展中国家中的科技大国,自1948年独立以来,几乎从零开始建立了一个门类比较齐全的科技体系,拥有了一支实力较为雄厚的科技力量,在很多科技领域取得了引人瞩目的成就。例如,在高科技领域,印度进行了原子弹和氢弹实验,自主研发了烈火式中程导弹,成为世界上第二大软件生产国等;在国际学术领域,根据国际最权威的检索工具《科学引文索引》（SCI）、《科学技术会议录索引》（ISTP）和《工程索引》（EI）的统计,从1995年至2000年,印度科研人员在国际上发表的期刊论文和会议论文每年都在22000篇以上,一直位居世     

Fighting the 'microbe of sporting mania': Australian science and Antarctic exploration in the early 20th century

The 'Heroic Age' of Antarctic exploration, which occurred during the first 15 years of the 20th century, captured headlines around the world. Australia was no exception, especially as Australian scientists played important roles in several expeditions. Through participation in the British Antarctic Expedition of 1907-1909, two Australian scientists - T.W. Edgeworth David (1858-1934) and Douglas Mawson (1882-1958) - became genuine national heroes, mainly through being members of the first party to reach the South Magnetic Pole area. At a superficial level, the vehicle of Antarctic exploration placed science at the forefront of public awareness, fulfilling David's ambition for greater recognition of science and scientists, especially considering the high level of public interest in sport. However, although David and Mawson gave Antarctic exploration a scientific veneer, simply through their status as scientists, the public viewed them as heroes because they had endured great hardships and conquered a point on the map in the name of science and the Empire.     

悲剧人物:甲午风云中的李鸿章

作为洋务派的领袖人物之一,李鸿章个人权威的与日俱增与大清国在铁路、电报、教育、军事等领域的渐次近代化基本同步。因此,通过对李鸿章一生的回顾,也就能大致刻画出整个大清王朝的跌宕起伏。120年前的甲午中日战争既是李鸿章个人命运的转折点,也成为大清国家前途的拐点。     

数学建模与大学数学素质教育

本文论述了数学建模在素质教育中的作用,阐述了数学建模在培养学生的数学能力以及创新能力过程中的作用,讨论了在大学数学教学过程中如何重视数学建模并充分发挥其作用.     

Mathematics in narratives of Geodetic expeditions

In eighteenth-century France, geodesy (the measure of the earth's shape) became an arena where mathematics and narrative intersected productively. Mathematics played a crucial role not only in the measurements and analysis necessary to geodesy but also in the narrative accounts that presented the results of elaborate and expensive expeditions to the reading public. When they returned to France to write these accounts after their travels, mathematician-observers developed a variety of ways to display numbers and mathematical arguments and techniques. The numbers, equations, and diagrams they produced could not be separated from the story of their acquisition. Reading these accounts for the interplay of these two aspects--the mathematical and the narrative--shows how travelers articulated the intellectual and physical difficulties of their work to enhance the value of their results for specialist and lay readers alike.     

关于数学教学中渗透数学思想方法的思考

长期以来,我区数学教学效果距全国平均水平相差甚远,因此提高我区学生数学能力显得尤为重要。本文从数学教学中思想方法渗透的角度进行教学探讨,希望得到一些有益启示。