Author: Helge Kragh
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198917465
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Get Book Here
Book Description
The history of science is echoed in the development of its language and the names chosen for its technical terms. The Names of Science examines in detail how, over time, new words have entered the scientific lexicon and how some of them, but far from all, have survived to the present. Why is a transistor called a transistor and not something else? Why was the term 'scientist' only coined in 1834, and why was the name regarded as controversial for a long time afterwards? There is a story behind every scientific word we use today. In this work, Helge Kragh tells many of these stories, taking a broad historical perspective from the Renaissance to the present. By combining elements of linguistics with the history of the natural sciences including physics, chemistry, and astronomy, this book offers a new and innovative perspective on the historical development of the natural sciences. Following an introductory list of useful linguistic terms, the book is structured in six chapters, which cover important phases in the history of science, dealing with a vast range of scientific terminology from physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, to cosmology. It also considers, if only briefly, how English - and not, say, Latin or French - developed to become the internationally accepted language of science. Contrary to other works dealing with the subject, The Names of Science pays serious attention to the historical dimension of scientific language, and to the way in which scientists have, sometimes unconsciously, acted as linguists and neologists in their research work.
Author: Arthur Frederick Gotch
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780816033775
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 714
Get Book Here
Book Description
Describes the meanings of the Latin names of over 4,000 individual species, and gives a translation of the Latin name
Author: Martin Gardner
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486131629
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385
Get Book Here
Book Description
Fair, witty appraisal of cranks, quacks, and quackeries of science and pseudoscience: hollow earth, Velikovsky, orgone energy, Dianetics, flying saucers, Bridey Murphy, food and medical fads, and much more.
Author: Peter Wothers
Publisher:
ISBN: 0199652724
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Get Book Here
Book Description
How did the elements get their names? The origins of californium may be obvious, but what about oxygen? Investigating their origins takes Peter Wothers deep into history. Drawing on a wide variety of original sources, he brings to light the astonishing, the unusual, and the downright weird origins behind the element names we take for granted.
Author: Stephen B. Heard
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300252692
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Get Book Here
Book Description
An engaging history of the surprising, poignant, and occasionally scandalous stories behind scientific names and their cultural significance Ever since Carl Linnaeus’s binomial system of scientific names was adopted in the eighteenth century, scientists have been eponymously naming organisms in ways that both honor and vilify their namesakes. This charming, informative, and accessible history examines the fascinating stories behind taxonomic nomenclature, from Linnaeus himself naming a small and unpleasant weed after a rival botanist to the recent influx of scientific names based on pop-culture icons—including David Bowie’s spider, Frank Zappa’s jellyfish, and Beyoncé’s fly. Exploring the naming process as an opportunity for scientists to express themselves in creative ways, Stephen B. Heard’s fresh approach shows how scientific names function as a window into both the passions and foibles of the scientific community and as a more general indicator of the ways in which humans relate to, and impose order on, the natural world.
Author: International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780853010036
Category : Animals
Languages : fr
Pages : 364
Get Book Here
Book Description
Author: Paul W May
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 1908978856
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 189
Get Book Here
Book Description
This popular science book shows that chemists do have a sense of humor, and this book is a celebration of the quirky side of scientific nomenclature. Here, some molecules are shown that have unusual, rude, ridiculous or downright silly names. Written in an easy-to-read style, anyone — not just scientists — can appreciate the content. Each molecule is illustrated with a photograph and/or image that relates directly or indirectly to its name and molecular structure. Thus, the book is not only entertaining, but also educational./a
Author: Isaac Asimov
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 870
Get Book Here
Book Description
Each entry gives short to lengthy biographical information. Subject and name index.
Author: Nessa Carey
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231530714
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Get Book Here
Book Description
Epigenetics can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behavior of biological life on Earth. It explains why mapping an organism's genetic code is not enough to determine how it develops or acts and shows how nurture combines with nature to engineer biological diversity. Surveying the twenty-year history of the field while also highlighting its latest findings and innovations, this volume provides a readily understandable introduction to the foundations of epigenetics. Nessa Carey, a leading epigenetics researcher, connects the field's arguments to such diverse phenomena as how ants and queen bees control their colonies; why tortoiseshell cats are always female; why some plants need cold weather before they can flower; and how our bodies age and develop disease. Reaching beyond biology, epigenetics now informs work on drug addiction, the long-term effects of famine, and the physical and psychological consequences of childhood trauma. Carey concludes with a discussion of the future directions for this research and its ability to improve human health and well-being.
Author: Umberto Quattrocchi
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0849326788
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 647
Get Book Here
Book Description
This volume provides the origins and meanings of the names of genera and species of extant vascular plants, with the genera arranged alphabetically from R to Z.
