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Reading the paper to know the past: Carla Bittel, Elaine Leong, and Christine von Oertzen: Working with paper: gendered practice in the history of knowledge. This collection of essays restores to our attention the important place of paper and "paper stuff" in the gendered knowledge practices of Europe and the United States from the early modern to the modern period. Eyferth's essay brings Euro-American assumptions about paper into stark relief, observing, for example, that into the twentieth century, 'the Chinese burned more paper in religious ceremonies than they used for all other purposes combined' (213). [Extracted from the article]

A rich resource on scientific knowledge: Kevin McCain and Kostas Kampourakis: What is scientific knowledge? While McCain and Kampourakis do not mention this in their introduction, at least some of the papers will be of potential interest for researchers in the relevant areas. McCain also begins his paper by hinting that the goal of science is to provide an understanding of natural phenomena, which he seems to see as synonymous with explanations. In the introduction, McCain and Kampourakis identify the intended uses of this volume and, thereby, do part of my job for me: This volume is designed to introduce non-experts to key debates concerning scientific knowledge. [Extracted from the article]

Putnam's Last Papers: Hilary Putnam: Naturalism, Realism, and Normativity, edited by Mario De Caro. If there is any common thread in the various essays in this collection, or at least in many of them, it is Putnam's complex relation to the realism issue - in various senses of "realism." In one essay, Putnam examines his former teacher, Hans Reichenbach, who is commonly classified as a logical positivist. [Extracted from the article]

"A History of Scientific Journals" is a comprehensive account of the Royal Society of London's Philosophical Transactions from 1665 to its 350th anniversary in 2015. The book explores the development of the Transactions from a speculative commercial venture to the official publication of one of the world's oldest and most influential learned societies. It covers the evolution of scientific publishing, including the introduction of peer review and the growth of specialized journals. The book provides a nuanced and well-researched perspective on the history of science publishing and is recommended for scholars, scientists, students, and policymakers in science-related fields. [Extracted from the article]

In the book "Radical by Nature: The Revolutionary Life of Alfred Russel Wallace," author James T. Costa provides a comprehensive and detailed portrait of Alfred Russel Wallace, a prominent figure in the history of evolutionary thought. Costa draws from newly available notebooks, manuscripts, and the Wallace Correspondence Project to present an updated story of Wallace's life and times. The book highlights Wallace's extensive travels, his contributions to biogeography, and his formulation of the theory of evolution by natural selection. It also explores Wallace's political beliefs, spiritualism, and controversial stances on issues such as eugenics and vaccination. Overall, Costa's biography sheds new light on Wallace's life and his significant contributions to natural history and science. [Extracted from the article]

This article by Adam Tamas Tuboly discusses the publication of Otto Neurath's complete works, which cover his writings from 1903 to 1946. Neurath was a philosopher and a key figure in logical empiricism. The article highlights the efforts of Neurath's colleagues and friends to preserve his philosophy and publish his works. The expanded edition of Neurath's works offers a comprehensive collection of his writings, providing a deeper understanding of his ideas. The article emphasizes the relevance of Neurath's philosophy today, particularly in economics, education, and visual education. However, it notes that the volumes lack substantive editorial introductions and notes, which could have provided more context for readers. Overall, the publication of Neurath's complete works is seen as a significant achievement and an essential resource for researchers interested in Neurath and the Vienna Circle. [Extracted from the article]

It has seldom been out of print, and in 2015 I The Annotated Malay Archipelago by Alfred Russel Wallace, i edited by John Van Wyhe appeared, updating the itinerary, and bringing the journey to life for the modern reader: it also points out Wallace's occasional errors. While, Wallace maintained, early hominids might have evolved through the agency of natural selection, as Flannery puts it: "The unique "social and sympathetic" capacities arising from advanced mental development set humans apart and freed them from the tyranny of natural selection" (16). Chapter five, "Wallace's Integrated World" seeks to reveal the essential unity of Wallace's thought. An Appendix reprints three of Wallace's most significant papers, including the one read as part of the joint Darwin-Wallace presentation to the Linnean Society in 1858, so that the evolution of his ideas can be traced. [Extracted from the article]

The Mystery of the Majorana affair: Erasmo Recami: The Majorana case: letters, documents, testimonies. I can add the remark that - independently from Recami and his book - one can read much speculation on the subject of Majorana's disappearance in other works, but as they are not accompanied by clear and unquestionable evidence, they risk remaining conjectures and/or alleged assumptions. At the end of 1927, Majorana, with approval from Segrè and Amaldi, moved from Engineering to Physics and, from the beginning of 1928 he attended the Physics faculty. [Extracted from the article]

Science and the state in nineteenth century Prussia: M. Norton Wise: Aesthetics, industry & science. Wise goes into a detailed analysis of the Tree of Knowledge that figures so prominently on the certificate, an analysis that tells us how I Bildung i was conceived by members of the Berlin Physical Society. In a very detailed analysis, Wise concludes that the resources Helmholtz employed in his classical paper lay close at hand in the Society (272). [Extracted from the article]

Can't see the forest for the sleaze: Mario Biagioli & Alexandra Lippman, eds: Gaming the metrics: misconduct and manipulation in academic research. There were two reactions to Biagioli's provocations in this book which were viewed askance by some of the other participants: let us call them the Law and Order, and the Shining Future options. Hence, he gathered together a conference of people from STS and Scientometrics to meditate upon what these phenomena may portend for the future conduct of modern science; this book is the record of that conclave. [Extracted from the article]

Drawing from a clearer and more concise paper of his, 'Cirkovi'c ([2]), 'Cirkovi'c summarizes in §3.10 the main classes of solutions to Fermi's paradox (if we grant that there is indeed a paradox) and their assumptions: Conducted in this way, on 'Cirkovi'c's view, SETI was not given a fair chance, and its failure only served anti-Copernican, catastrophist, or solipsist responses to Fermi's paradox. By skipping definitional issues and assuming the typicality of our observations, thus taking each of Fermi's premises for granted, 'Cirkovi'c assumes the paradox rather than establishes it. [Extracted from the article]

Highlights from the article: Response to critics: how religious beliefs distort historical understanding: Yves Gingras: Science and religion: an impossible dialogue. It is surprising to see that despite the flood of papers and books on the importance of a fruitful "dialogue" between science and religion, one is hard pressed to find any clear definition of the term "dialogue" or what could be the effects of such dialogues on the content of science. Interestingly, in his review of the book, Maurice Clavelin noted that the book "is not hostile to religion as a personal commitment, nor does it rely on a caricature of science", since I recognize that science "in turn depends on a number of postulates - metaphysical, ethical and methodological" (Clavelin [5], 121). For it is one thing to defend the autonomy of science over theology (as many natural philosophers and scientists did over the centuries) and a different thing altogether to say that science can be I useful i to religion.

Michael D. Gordin's book, "Pseudoscience: A Very Short Introduction," provides an overview of the concept of pseudoscience. Gordin explores the paradoxical nature of pseudoscience, acknowledging that it is both not a real thing and yet also real. He discusses the difficulty of defining pseudoscience and proposes a historical approach to understanding fringe doctrines. Gordin introduces four categories of pseudoscience: vestigial sciences, hyperpoliticized sciences, counterestablishment sciences, and theories based on claims of unusual powers of the mind. He emphasizes the diversity of pseudoscience and the challenges of demarcation. While the book lacks a well-structured definition of pseudoscience and a detailed analysis of pseudoscientificity, it serves as an introduction to the topic for students and the general public. [Extracted from the article]

Roman Frigg's book, "Models and Theories: A Philosophical Inquiry," explores the relationship between theories and models in science. Frigg provides a comprehensive overview of the topic, discussing the Linguistic View of Theories and the Received View, as well as the Model-Theoretical View. He examines the role of models in representing scientific phenomena and addresses questions about the semantics of theoretical terms. Frigg argues that a dual view, incorporating both linguistic and non-linguistic elements, is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of scientific theories. The book also delves into controversies surrounding scientific representation and the autonomy of models from theories. Overall, Frigg's work offers a valuable contribution to the field of philosophy of science. [Extracted from the article]

Catherine M. Jackson's book, "Practical Organic Chemistry: Molecular World: Making Modern Chemistry," explores the evolution of organic chemistry from the 1820s to the late nineteenth century. Jackson argues that organic chemistry was built on practice rather than theory, and she examines the relationship between experiment and theory. The book focuses on the work of three German chemists, Justus Liebig, Wilhelm Hofmann, and Albert Ladenburg, and their contributions to the field. Jackson also discusses the development of laboratory techniques and glassware, as well as the advancements in chemical synthesis. The book provides valuable insights into the history of organic chemistry and is recommended for historians and chemists. [Extracted from the article]

The pope of condensed matter physics: Andrew Zangwill: A mind over matter: Philip Anderson and the physics of the very many. Zangwill clearly admires Anderson, not only for his profound contributions to physics but also for his human qualities and broad interests. "I have aimed to make my discussion of Anderson's physics as descriptive as possible", Zangwill says (7). [Extracted from the article]

In this line of reasoning, scientism is about knowledge, and only science can provide us rational knowledge. Interestingly, as with most of the other collections on the scientism debate, the anti-scientistic authors in this book restrict the range of science to the physical and life sciences. Most of the scientism denial authors repeat the classical objections to scientism in a too tedious, tenuous, and superficial manner. The editors' introduction and the first chapter characterize scientism as exclusivity claims about science (1). [Extracted from the article]

Science Serialized: Representations of the Sciences in Nineteenth-Century Periodicals. Science in the press: Gowan Dawson, Bernard Lightman, Sally Shuttleworth, and Jonathan R. Topham (eds): Science periodicals in nineteenth-century Britain. When telling the story of geological periodicals, Dawson (chapter 4) brings to light the opposition, during half a century, between the elite specialists of the Geological Society (created in 1807) and those with a more egalitarian conception of science. [Extracted from the article]

"Philosophical Methodology: From Data to Theory" is a book by John Bengson, Terence Cuneo, and Russ Shafer-Landau that explores the methodology of philosophy. The authors introduce the Tri-Level Method, which advocates for philosophers to collect data, substantiate and integrate their claims, and highlight the virtues of their theories. The book fills a gap in the literature and provides a clear and accessible introduction to the practice of philosophy. While the authors make compelling arguments, there are potential criticisms from philosophers of science regarding their views on data. Overall, "Philosophical Methodology" is a valuable resource for those interested in understanding the foundations of philosophical inquiry. [Extracted from the article]

Fortunately, for those interested in the history of manuscripts and the complex development of Poincaré's thought, Frappier et al.'s translation contains a four-page list of I S&H's i chapters and their original sources. Frappier et al.'s translation provides a very helpful forward, written by one of the translators, David J. Stump, which summarizes I S&H's i chapters in clean and crisp prose. In the second part of Stump's discussion, he takes on the vexed question of whether or not to interpret Poincaré as holding a hierarchical view of science as presented in I S&H i and later work. [Extracted from the article]

Thus, Leibniz's concept of absolute motion results from the confluence of two different theoretical outputs: the equivalence principle is valid for the phenomenal level, while the principle of equipollence belongs to a deeper, dynamic level, whose function is to determine the invariant laws that are given at the phenomenal level. Davide Crippa's chapter "Leibniz and the impossibility of squaring the circle" (93-120) opens the section on mathematics with an accurate analysis of Leibniz's proof of the impossibility of squaring the circle (Proposition LI of I De Quadratura Arithmetica Circuli i , DQAC). Crippa examines the proof of impossibility proposed by Gregory in 1667, a proof that Leibniz was aware of in 1673, as well as the dispute between Leibniz and Huygens. [Extracted from the article]

Challenging the fake news about Mileva Einstein-Mari'c and setting the record straight: Allen Esterson and David C. Cassidy, With A Contribution by Ruth Lewin Sime: Einstein's Wife: The Real Story of Mileva Einstein-Mari'c. Totaling only about 65 pages, Esterson's section is unlikely to have found a book publisher on its own, but in a generous act of collegial support, Cassidy helped Esterson achieve his goal. Not only do Einstein's letters "give no indication that...she had made any contributions to his theorizing" (265), but in Einstein-Mari'c's letters to her closest friend, Helene Kaufler Savi'c, she "she made no mention of any I scientific i assistance given to her husband" (266). [Extracted from the article]