Scientific Practice

This study examines small-scale experiments in physics, in particular the relation between theory and practice. The contributors focus on interactions among the people, materials and ideas involved in experiments. The first half of the book is primarily philosophical, with contributions from Andrew Pickering, Peter Galison, Hans Radder, Brian Baigrie and Yves Gingras. Among the issues they address are the resources deployed by theoreticians and experimenters, the boundaries that constrain theory and practice, the limits of objectivity, the reproducibility of results and the intentions of researchers. The second half is devoted to historical case studies in the practice of physics from the early-19th to the early-20th century. These chapters address failed as well as successful experimental work ranging from Victorian astronomy through Hertz's investigation of cathode rays to Trouton's attempt to harness the ether.