Critical Appraisal of Physical Science as a Human Enterprise - Dynamics of Scientific Progress

of: Mansoor Niaz

Springer-Verlag, 2009

ISBN: 9781402096266 , 216 Pages

Format: PDF, Read online

Copy protection: DRM

Acknowledgments: 7
Contents: 8
Introduction: 14
Quantitative Imperative Versus the Imperative of Presuppositions: 21
Understanding Scientific Progress: From Duhem to Lakatos: 39
Kinetic Theory: Maxwell’s Presuppositions: 56
Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements: From Mendeleev to Moseley: 65
Foundations of Modern Atomic Theory: Thomson, Rutherford, and Bohr: 84
Determination of the Elementary Electrical Charge: Millikan and Ehrenhaft*: 105
Paradox of the Photoelectric Effect: Einstein and Millikan: 128
Bending of Light in the 1919 Eclipse Experiments: Einstein and Eddington: 134
Lewis’s Covalent Bond: From Transfer of Electrons to Sharing of Electrons: 145
Quantum Mechanics: From Bohr to Bohm: 155
Wave–Particle Duality: De Broglie, Einstein, and Schrödinger: 164
Searching for Quarks: Perl’s Philosophy of Speculative Experiments: 171
Conclusion: Inductive Method as a Chimera: 179
References: 191
Author Index: 208
Subject Index: 213

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