Instruments, Travel and Science: Itineraries of Precision from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century Contributor(s): Bourguet, Marie Noëlle (Editor), Licoppe, Christian (Editor), Sibum, H. Otto (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0415272955 ISBN-13: 9780415272957 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $247.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: July 2002 Annotation: We are now accustomed to conceive of science as an instrumental activity, producing numbers, measurements and graphs by means of sophisticated devices. This book investigates the historical process that gave rise to this instrumental culture. The contributors trace the displacement of instruments across the globe, the spread of practices or precision and the circulation and appropriation of skills and knowledge. br Through comparative and contextual approaches, the volume confronts the tension between the local and the global, examining the process of the universalization of science. Bringing together case studies ranging from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, contributors discuss French, German and British initiatives, as well as the knowledge and techniques of travelers in countries such as India, Africa, South East Asia and the Americas. br Students and researchers interested in the history of science in both Western and non-Western cultures will find this book a valuable and thought-provoking read. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Science | History |
Dewey: 509 |
LCCN: 2002021345 |
Lexile Measure: 1640 |
Series: Routledge Studies in the History of Science, Technology, and |
Physical Information: 0.78" H x 6.82" W x 8.9" (1.49 lbs) 316 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: We are now accustomed to conceive of science as an instrumental activity, producing numbers, measurements and graphs by means of sophisticated devices. This book investigates the historical process that gave rise to this instrumental culture. The contributors trace the displacement of instruments across the globe, the spread of practices or precision and the circulation and appropriation of skills and knowledge. Through comparative and contextual approaches, the volume confronts the tension between the local and the global, examining the process of the universalization of science. Bringing together case studies ranging from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, contributors discuss French, German and British initiatives, as well as the knowledge and techniques of travellers in countries such as India, Africa, South East Asia and the Americas. Students and researchers interested in the history of science in both Western and non-Western cultures will find this book a valuable and thought-provoking read. |