[.ca] Science Since Babylon: Enlarged Edition (ISBN 0300017987)

Wide Ranging Essays on the History of Science:
I enjoyed these essays, but I am curious about more recent research. I would like other readers to comment on Science Since Babylon and to suggest follow-up reading. The chapters are largely independent essays, some derived from five lectures that Professor Derek de Solla Price presented at Yale University in 1959. In my 1975 edition Price has updated some chapters. Price begins by speculating that the emergence of science in the West is peculiar, and not the norm for other advanced civilizations. He argues that the blending of Babylonian genius for tedious arithmetic calculations (but dullards at geometry) with the Hellenistic skill with axiomatic geometry was unique and laid the basis for a future Kepler, Newton, and Maxwell, and Einstein. Does more recent study support this thesis? Next is a story of serendipity. In the oldest library at Cambridge University Price unexpectedly discovered a long forgotten document, a beautifully handwritten description in Middle English of a planetary equatorium, a companion device to the astrolabe. Even more surprising, the author is now thought to be Chaucer. Other equally improbable events unfold, leading to a fascinating picture of the early development of celestial timepieces. The following two essays are detailed histories of narrow topics and required more effort. The first was the development of automata (devices that move by themselves) from Hellenistic times to the European Medieval period and into the Renaissance. The second topic was the significance of scientific talismans and symbolisms (especially pentagons, hexagons, and octagons) in expressing complex ideas by means other than literate (written) or quantitative (mathematical) methods. The fifth essay argues that the roots of that remarkable inventive period in America (exemplified by Yankee ingenuity) can be traced back to the Renaissance. I was initially skeptical, but Price does show that similar explosive periods of invention by artisans and tradesmen occurred in the medieval and Renaissance periods. The last four essays address more general topics, seem somewhat dated, but were interesting nonetheless: The Difference Between Science and Technology - Scientists leave detailed tracks as they publish their work to gain credit, while technologists keep their work secret from competitors. Consequently, the historian must use different investigative techniques for examining past scientific discoveries as opposed to researching inventions. The Mutations of Science - In the late 1800s there appeared to be no remaining major problems in physics, only some minor loose ends to resolve. Beginning with the startling discovery of x-rays, Price outlines how physics suddenly awoke from its doldrums. He also offers a fascinating account of the discovery of N-rays, a major debacle in French science. The Diseases of Science - The remarkable exponential growth (doubling every twelve years) in science publications in the last two centuries cannot continue. Price speculates that electronic publishing might help in the short term. (This article was written before the advent of the Internet.) The Humanities of Science - The last essay argues for greater blending of science and humanities curricula and encourages more students to enter the new field of history of science.