Abstract The paper discusses how Albert Einstein's scientific genius rendered him the most famousscientist of the 20th century but contends that his intense humanism probably resulted in his status as a cultural icon. The paper relates that it is sometimes not realized that Einstein lamented his breakthrough in relativity and the splitting of the atom that permitted the Allies to create the atomic bomb that ended World War II and heralded our nuclear age.
From the Paper "Much rhetoric has been written on how scientific discoveries reshape a period and sometimes an entire culture. Gerald Holton notes that Einstein's scientific papers on relativity, statistical mechanics and quantum physics in the first two decades of the 20th century, "caused remarkable and sometimes quite unforeseen cultural transformations and resonances" (p. 125). Of course, Albert Einstein is credited with the theory of general relativity to revolutionize the sciences into the 21st century and the new orientation of relativity would strongly affect the social sciences, plus the world of arts and letters."
This paper discusses how "The Scientist" is viewed, using 'The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA' by James Watson.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 1 source, 2005, $ 26.95
Abstract This paper discusses the portrayal of "The Scientist" in James Watson's 'The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA'. The article reflects a view of science as a highly competitive field in which scientists are men (Watson's scientists being generally male, with the notable exception of Rosalind Franklin) driven by a mingling of competition and collaboration. As this essay demonstrates, the view of scientists in this account is of flawed, if often great, human beings whose achievements are the product of cross-fertilization in a community of scholars driven by personal ambition and personality.
From the Paper "The portrayal of "The Scientist" in James Watson's 'The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA' reflects a view of science as a highly competitive field in which scientists are men (Watson's scientists being generally male, with the notable exception of Rosalind Franklin) driven by a mingling of competition and collaboration. As this essay demonstrates, the view of scientists in this account is of flawed, if often great, human beings whose achievements are the product of cross-fertilization in a community of scholars driven by personal ambition and personality."
Abstract This paper illustrates how the depiction of science and scientists in films and other popular media has long been characterized either by fear and anxiety at scientists' potential power or by wild acclaim for their accomplishments. It examines through a review of several films how there are variations on the basic stereotypes of the mad and the benignly inspired scientist and how filmmakers tend to express general societal concerns in their choice of type. It reviews films such as "Pi", "Contact" and "The Absent-Minded Professor". It also looks at portrayals of the most famousscientist Albert Einstein in "Insignificance", "I.Q." and "Young Einstein' which all address the problem of a public that idolizes what seems incomprehensible, but powerful, to them.
From the Paper "Stereotypes of the scientist also included the malignant varieties and even types whose benign neglect (caused by their single-minded attention to science with no concern for the consequences) was their main characteristic. Mad scientists certainly preceded and followed the biopic tradition. But in all these cases scientists were viewed as powerful beings. In the past twenty years, however, this trend seems to have reversed itself in two ways. On the one hand, films "increasingly portray science and reason as tools that are unsuitable for understanding our world in a new age of credulity" (Evans 45). Laypersons, for example, are often depicted as achieving better results, moral as well as scientific, than scientists. In Spielberg's E. T., one of the most popular films ever made, the extraterrestrial being is menaced by the cold, faceless forces of science and can only be helped by the kindly efforts of a little boy and his friends. Even the conclusions of more scientifically aware films such as Contact and Pi hint at the comfort offered by the existence of forces that truly are above everything the scientists have failed to comprehend or prove."
Abstract This paper studies the great Italian scientist and inventor of the electric motor, Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta, who is considered among the pioneers of the modern science. It includes an historical overview of his life and his greatest inventions including: Electrophorus, isolating the compound methane and many gadgets. It discusses his many contributions to the scientific world as well as the recognition and rewards he received for them.
From the Paper "Though the invention of Electrophorus was a huge success for Volta but his continuous research work brought several other successes to him. He became the first person to isolate the compound methane in the year 1778. His journey of success continued as he accepted a proposal to work as a professor at the University of Pavia in 1779. In the meantime he continued his research in the field and made several other inventions such as gadgets which were invented on the basis of the principles of static electricity. Because of his great inventions and high contribution in the field of electricity he was awarded the Copley Medal of the Royal Society in 1791. His works were not restricted to static electricity but he also worked in the area of dynamic electricity. His works in the area of dynamic were primarily an idea derived from the results of the experiments conducted by Galvani, who was a friend of Volta."
Abstract This paper discusses that Aristotle originated the development of logic and logical thinking as related to science and mathematics, independent of the mathematical influence from other Greek philosophers and scientists. The author presents details of Aristotle's life both as a scientist and as a philosopher. He concludes that Aristotle's greatest contribution was his ability to communicate his scientific thoughts that were far beyond his age.
From the Paper "Aristotle based his findings on his knowledge of Greek mathematics at the time, but since he created a new form of mathematical logic, his findings were also completely new and therefore independent of the mathematical influence from other Greek philosophers and scientists. He drew upon his teachings from Plato in his "Prior Analytics," then went on to refine it and add his own explanation for arriving at middle terms in equations and logical thought. "
Abstract Scientists and historians might seem to encompass two separate professional worlds, but they really complement each other in many ways. By studying history, scientists can learn more about how we arrived where we did, and historians, by studying science, can learn more about science's contributions to what made us what we are.
Abstract This paper discusses the three major functions of a forensic scientist. The paper looks at the type of evidence to be retrieved from a deceased victim for examination in the crime laboratory. The paper also describes the proper collection and preservation of paint evidence from an automobile suspected of being involved in a hit-and-run incident.
From the Paper "Criminalistics is the forensic science of analyzing and interpreting evidence. Forensic scientists examine and identify physical evidence to reconstruct a crime scene. Physical evidence can be a weapon, a piece of clothing, a bloodstain, semen, hair, skin, fibers, dust, pollen, dirt, etc. Criminalists try to use physical evidence to prove a link between a suspect and a crime."
Tags: forensic scientist, medical examiner, coroner, evidence, deceased victim, crime laboratory, proper collection and preservation of paint evidence
Abstract This paper is written about famous women and immigrants. From the beginning of American history women have played an active role in seeking rights for immigrants, African Americans, and their own rights.
Abstract This paper examines how in his play, "Life of Galileo", Bertolt Brecht describes the ordeal the famousscientist was forced to undergo as he juggled his personal values and views against those of the mainstream society in which he lived. The paper provides a scene-by-scene examination of Brecht's original play to identify these religious and scientific conflicts, as well as Brecht's treatment of the scientist's response to these conditions.
Outline:
Review and Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "Scene I. Here Galileo introduces his concept of a new age of enlightened learning, where even "fishwives" will enthusiastically attend school and study advanced topics such as astronomy. Galileo states he first became aware that the Old Guard's days were numbered came when, as a young man in Siena, he watched "a group of building workers argue for five minutes, then abandon a thousand-year old method of shifting granite blocks in favour of a new and more efficient arrangement of the ropes. Then and there I knew, the old days are over and this is a new time" (7)."
Abstract This paper explains the background of George Washington Carver, one of America's most famous black scientists. The paper discusses his agricultural innovations that helped change American and worldwide agriculture. The paper also relates that he helped change the way America looked at educating blacks.
From the Paper "During his time on the farm, he taught himself to read, and he discovered he loved learning, too. Because of this, he left the farm and traveled over 100 miles to the nearest elementary school that admitted black students. Then he went all the way to Kansas to attend high school. After he graduated, he hoped to attend college, and applied at Highland University, a small Kansas school. The administration admitted him without an interview, but would not let him attend when they discovered he was black. Finally, he gained admittance to Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, but it was not until he was 30, in 1890, where he was the first black student to graduate from the school."
Tags: agriculture, innovations, blacks, Tuskagee, Institute
This paper discusses the famous Supreme Court public school desegregation case, "Brown vs. Board of Education," the first time social science evidence was allowed in a court of the United States.
2,870 words (approx. 11.5 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 85.95
Abstract This paper explains that the only way to overturn "Plessy vs. Ferguson," which was the precedent set in 1896 that allowed separate but equal school systems for blacks and whites, was to prove legitimately by presenting valid evidence, which supported the NAACP challenge, that separate could not be equal. The author points out that Thurgood Marshall, then lawyer for the NAACP, turned to social scientist Kenneth B. Clark, who gathered convincing evidence that ultimately proved segregation in public schools was a direct violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The paper explains that experiments demonstrated that, as a colored child observed the society in which he or she lived, that child associated whiteness with superior advantage, achievement, progress, and power, all of which were perceived essential to being successful in the competitive American culture.
From the Paper "In order to convince the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall knew he would have to present some form of scientific evidence that could not leave room for a contradictory argument. So, Dr. Clark and his team devised a foolproof experiment to determine the influence of skin color as a factor in racial identification of Negro preschool children. Samples of children from three different age groups were tested: three, four, and five years of age. Also, the subjects were divided into three categories on the basis of skin color: light, medium, and dark. Placed in front of each child were two identical dolls: one doll was white and the other was colored."
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the topic of Albert Einstein. Specifically the paper discusses Einstein's life and his scientific achievements. The paper reports that Einstein discovered the 'Theory of Relativity' and is often known as the "father" of the atomic bomb. The paper further discusses how Einstein's life is a model to scientists and physicists today, and a valuable lesson in what one person can accomplish in his lifetime.
From the Paper "Einstein also helped to develop Quantum Theory, which "deals with the laws that describe how matter is built out of these elementary particles and what the forces are between them as revealed in spectral lines, in radioactive phenomena, or in the process of fission. The story of modern physics is in great part that of quantum theory" (Infeld 85). The use of Quantum Theory and continued study into it by other scientists eventually led to the development of atomic fission, and later, the development of the atomic and bomb. Einstein always regretted the part he played in the development of the bomb, as he was a lifelong pacifist. In fact, he co-wrote a famous book, "Why War?" with Sigmund Freud in 1932 that became classic anti-war literature. Another writer states, "The 'Why War?' letters, organized by Einstein, were written at the behest of the International Institute of Intellectual Co-operation, a committee of the League of Nations" (Dunn 112). Einstein saw the potential of harnessing atomic principles to create nuclear power, but always felt regret over his role in the atomic arms race. He spent the remainder of his life studying many different projects. One however, eluded him. Another scientist writes, "Einstein, who had already united space, time and gravity in his theories, certainly believed this and spent the latter half of his life seeking--unsuccessfully--'a theory of everything' that would combine quantum physics and relativity" (Mckie). That work today is evolving into another theory of physics - string theory, which shows his influence is still felt around the world today."
Abstract The paper discusses the observations and discoveries of physicist and astronomer, Galilei Galileo. The paper also compares his observations to those of other famous atronomers such as Johannes Keplar, Ptolemy and Copernicus.
From the Paper "Interestingly, the sort of heresy that Galileo was convicted of was just the sort of observational assertion that Luther had already predicted the Catholic Church would have trouble with, based upon the fact that they held rationalistic interpretations of the Bible in greater esteem than empirical conclusions arrived at through careful examination. In other words, the Church, by hoarding all of the power to make reforms and philosophical claims about the world, had made itself vulnerable to catastrophic failure once competing worldviews were introduced. Essentially, so much had been built upon the rationalistic claims asserted by the Catholic Church for more than one thousand years, that empirical knowledge was likely to soon begin to contradict dogma. Of course, this did occur quite publicly when Galileo argued in favor of the Copernican, heliocentric model of the solar system. Yet, it would seem, the rationalistic way of perceiving the universe was far more flexible than Luther had initially suspected. Galileo, on the other hand, grasped the philosophical wiggle-room rationalism affords anyone who is willing to accept claims about the world based upon faith."
Abstract The paper discusses how Carl Sagan revolutionized how the world looked at space and the search for intelligent life beyond our planet. The paper talks about Sagan's popular PBS television series "Cosmos" and his novel "Billions and Billions", specifically focusing on the chapters on abortion, religion and science.
From the Paper "Born in 1934, Sagan grew up in a working-class Jewish neighborhood of New York and attended urban public schools in New York and New Jersey. The University of Chicago provided him scholarship support when he entered in 1951, and he continued there for graduate work, receiving his doctorate in astronomy in 1960. After two years as a postdoctoral in biology at Berkeley and Stanford, he joined the Harvard College astronomy faculty as Assistant Professor until 1968 and then moved to Cornell University to become Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary studies."
Abstract This paper describes some of the early "scientific" intelligent tests and how the scientists performing these tests either falsified data or their findings in order to achieve the desired results. The paper also describes tests where scientists either didn't use proper methods for obtaining data or used faulty reasoning to keep their theory believable. Finally, the paper concludes that, while today's intelligence tests are not flawed as they were in the past, in the past scientists often came to many conclusive statements unscientifically.
From the Paper "It's 11:00 PM; Channel 7 News reports of a comet heading towards earth; could this be the end of the world? After pulling the attention of all nearby viewers, they continue with the news, only to leave this story to be the last of the night. It turns out that in the year 2443, a comet will come within 10 miles from Earth, possibly impacting. Bending the truth is a common way to draw the attention of gullible or curious individuals. Such is the case with many early scientists mentioned in Stephen Jay Gould's The Mismeasure of Man. Many of the scientists in The Mismeasure of Man worked unscientifically; some used false data to enhance the appeal of their findings to the scientific community, while some others just simply did not test accurately or used poor data."
