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.     

Tragic mathematics: romantic narratives and the refounding of mathematics in the early nineteenth century

A new, Romantic type of mathematical story appeared in the early nineteenth century that was radically different from the sober narrative characteristic of the previous generation of mathematicians. At the same time, a new mathematical practice emerged that differed sharply from the understanding and practice of mathematics during the Enlightenment. These parallel developments are inseparable: the new type of mathematical practice went hand in hand with the new mathematical story.     

新世纪学会面临的挑战与对策

学会目前面临的问题与挑战进入 2 1世纪以来 ,特别是加入世贸组织后 ,面对世界经济一体化、市场全球化、信息国际化和科技日新月异 ,人才竞争激烈的挑战和发展机遇 ,国家加快了实施科教兴国和可持续发展的战略步伐 ,在这种形势下 ,为实施“十五”计划和十六大提出全面建设小康社会的奋斗目标 ,学会等科技社团将是一支生力军 ,发挥政府、企业或其它组织不可替代的作用。当前 ,学会的工作应该予以加强 ,以适应新形势的需要。学会应该得到各级政府、行政主管部门、企事业单位和社会各界的重视和支持。随着改革开放和市场经济的建立 ,科技社团不…     

The fire ant wars. Nature and science in the pesticide controversies of the late twentieth century

This essay uses an approach borrowed from environmental history to investigate the interaction of science and nature in a late twentieth-century controversy. This debate, over the proper response to fire ants that had been imported into the American South accidentally and then spread across the region, pitted Rachel Carson and loosely federated groups of conservationists, scientists, and citizens against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The analysis falls into three sections: an examination of the natural history of the ants; an examination of the views of the competing factions; and an examination of how those views, transformed into action, affected the natural world. Both sides saw the ants in terms of a constellation of beliefs about the relationship between nature, science, and democracy. As various ideas were put into play, they interacted with the natural history of the insects in unexpected ways--and with consequences for the cultural authority of the antagonists. Combining insights from the history of science and environmental history helps explain how scientists gain and lose cultural authority and, more fundamentally, allows for an examination of how nature can be integrated into the history of science.     

A poster of pustules: representations of early twentieth century industrial anthrax in Britain

In the decades around 1900, industrial anthrax attracted significant attention from medical practitioners, legislators and the general public in Britain. Attempts to reduce the incidence of the disease ranged from basic health measures - preventing workmen from eating inside factories and trialling the use of respirators - through to national legislation making disinfection of dangerous materials mandatory. Another effort involved the production of industrial warning posters (or cautionary notices) which were designed for use in the factory environment. In the case of anthrax, the context in which these notices appeared adds to our understanding of not only the disease itself, but also the relations between those producing such posters and those who encountered them in an industrial setting.     

21世纪技术创新进化的展望

<正>我们生活的时代,是科学与技术迅猛发展并不断融合的时代,科学与技术以前所未有的深度与广度影响人类文明进程。把握未来技术的本质特征,把握技术创新进化的规律,将有助于推动技术的健康发展,服务我国经济社会的科学发展、和谐发展与持续发展,促进人类文明和生态文明。     

中华传统文化对21世纪社会的影响将十分深远

要讨论在21世纪中华传统文化对世界影响问题,首先应明确区分"中国文化"和"中华传统文化"。中华传统文化在21世纪的命运和影响,必须从普世文化和多元文化说起,关键在于正确认识中华