Science and Its Times

by Schlager, Neil; Lauer, Josh

• ISBN13: 9780787639396
• ISBN10: 0787639397
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-07-01
• Publisher: Gale / Cengage Learning

Summary

"This series discusses how the major fields of science developed during specific time periods. Each volume focuses on a range of years and includes developments in exploration, life sciences, mathematics, physical sciences, and technology. When the series

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Advisory Board	xi
Contributors	xiii
Introduction: 1950-present	xvii
Chronology: 1950-present	xxi
Exploration and Discovery
Chronology of Key Events	1	(1)
Overview	2	(1)
Topical Essays
The Decoding of Linear B Sheds New Light on Mycenaean Civilization	3	(3)
Sir Edmund Hillary Leads the First Team to Reach the Summit of Mt. Everest	6	(3)
Around the World Beneath the Sea: The USS Triton Retraces Magellan's Historic Circumnavigation of the Globe	9	(2)
Deep-Sea Diving: Jacques Piccard and Donald Walsh Pilot the Trieste to a Record Depth of 35,800 Feet in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean	11	(2)
The Space Race and the Cold War	13	(3)
Women in Space	16	(3)
The 1969 Moon Landing: First Humans to Walk on Another World	19	(3)
Space Stations	22	(3)
Mandate from Heaven: The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang	25	(3)
The Unmanned Exploration of the Solar System: Mariner, Viking, Pioneer, and Voyager	28	(3)
Space Shuttles	31	(2)
Remains of the Titanic Discovered	33	(3)
Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager Pilot the First Aircraft to Fly around the World Nonstop	36	(3)
The Legacy of Cave Paintings	39	(2)
The Circumnavigation of the Earth by Balloon	41	(2)
Future Space Exploration: New Research, Developments in Space Exploration, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life	43	(3)
Biographical Sketches	46	(20)
Biographical Mentions	66	(9)
Bibliography of Primary Sources	75	(2)
Life Sciences
Chronology of Key Events	77	(1)
Overview	78	(2)
Topical Essays
Evolution and Creationism in American Public Schools	80	(3)
The Rise of Environmental Science	83	(4)
Trends in the Environmental Sciences since 1950	87	(3)
The Emergence of Biodiversity as an Issue of Importance	90	(3)
Advances in Ecological Theory	93	(3)
The Rise of Biotechnology as Big Business	96	(2)
Population Genetics and the Problem of Diversity	98	(3)
The Human Genome Project	101	(2)
Current Trends in Gene Manipulation	103	(3)
Agricultural Science Since 1950	106	(3)
Advances in Understanding Non-Human Primate Behavior	109	(3)
Theories of the Origin and Early Evolution of Life	112	(3)
Cracking the Genetic Code	115	(3)
Advances in Gene Regulation, Gene Expression, and Developmental Genetics	118	(4)
Scientists Learn More about the Evolution and Acquisition of Human Language	122	(2)
The Advent of Sociobiology Sheds New Light on Animal Societies	124	(3)
Human Ancestors: The Search Continues	127	(3)
A Tyrannosaurus Rex Named Due	130	(3)
Advances in Neurobiology and Brain Function	133	(2)
New Directions in Evolutionary Theory	135	(3)
Advances in Plant Biology since 1950	138	(3)
The Study of Human Sexuality	141	(2)
The Emergence of Biotechnology	143	(3)
Biographical Sketches	146	(29)
Biographical Mentions	175	(12)
Bibliography of Primary Sources	187	(2)
Mathematics
Chronology of Key Events	189	(1)
Overview	190	(2)
Topical Essays
The Proof of Fermat's Last Theorem	192	(3)
The Development of Computer Assisted Mathematics	195	(2)
Gerd Faltings Proves Mordell's Conjecture (1983)	197	(2)
The Independence of the Continuum Hypothesis	199	(2)
The Rise and Fall of Catastrophe Theory	201	(3)
Fractal Theory and Benoit Mandelbrot	204	(3)
Stephen Cook Advances Knowledge of NP-Complete Problems, Assisting Computer Scientists	207	(2)
Efron's Development of the Bootstrap	209	(3)
Mathematicians Complete the Classification of All Finite Simple Groups	212	(2)
American Public Schools Begin Teaching New Math	214	(3)
Patterns of Chaos	217	(2)
The Proliferation of Popular Mathematics Books in the 1990s	219	(3)
The Contributions of Japanese Mathematicians since 1950	222	(2)
Kepler's Sphere-Packing Conjecture Is Finally Proved	224	(2)
The Intimate Relation Between Mathematics and Physics	226	(3)
The Flowering of Differential Topology	229	(2)
Advances in Harmonic Analysis	231	(2)
Advances in Algebraic Topology since 1950	233	(3)
Applications of Number Theory in Cryptography	236	(2)
Lie Algebra Is Used to Help Solve Hilbert's Fifth Problem	238	(2)
The Resurrection of Infinitesimals: Abraham Robinson and Nonstandard Analysis	240	(2)
Politics Impinges upon Mathematics	242	(3)
Biographical Sketches	245	(20)
Biographical Mentions	265	(11)
Bibliography of Primary Sources	276	(3)
Medicine
Chronology of Key Events	279	(1)
Overview	280	(2)
Topical Essays
The Invention of the Heart-Lung Machine Launches the Era of Open-Heart Surgery	282	(3)
The Development of Organ Transplantation	285	(2)
Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases of the Eye	287	(3)
The Development of Polio Vaccines	290	(3)
Modern Advances in Surgery and in Medical Technology	293	(3)
Emerging Diseases since 1950	296	(2)
Infant Mortality	298	(2)
The AIDS Pandemic	300	(4)
Medicine and Women: 1950-present	304	(2)
Development of Prenatal Diagnostic and Surgical Techniques	306	(3)
New Frontiers in Dentistry	309	(2)
The Invention of the Artificial Heart	311	(3)
Issues and Developments in Birth Control since 1950	314	(3)
The Discovery of Genetic Markers for Disease	317	(2)
The Development of High-Tech Medical Diagnostic Tools	319	(3)
Advances in Understanding Cancer	322	(3)
The Global Eradication of Smallpox	325	(3)
The Advent of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)	328	(3)
The Advent of Total Hip Replacement	331	(2)
Aging Issues since 1950	333	(3)
The Evolution of the U.S. Healthcare System	336	(3)
Trends in Alternative Medicine	339	(2)
Trends in Epidemiology since 1950	341	(3)
Public Health Efforts since 1950	344	(3)
Biographical Sketches	347	(27)
Biographical Mentions	374	(8)
Bibliography of Primary Sources	382	(1)
Physical Sciences
Chronology of Key Events	383	(1)
Overview	384	(2)
Topical Essays
Plate Tectonic Theory and the Unification of the Earth Sciences	386	(4)
Quasars: Beacons in the Cosmic Night	390	(3)
The Discovery of Pulsars	393	(3)
Advances in Radio Astronomy Revolutionize Man's View of the Universe and its Origin	396	(3)
The Debate Between ``Big Science'' and ``Small Science''	399	(2)
Scientists Get Closer to Determining the Age of the Universe	401	(2)
Advances Related to Quantum Electrodynamics (QED)	403	(2)
Finding Order among the Particles	405	(3)
Stephen Hawking Makes Pioneering Discoveries in Gravitational Field Theory	408	(2)
Toward the Unification of Forces	410	(3)
Edward Lorenz's Groundbreaking Study of Weather Patterns Leads in Part to the Development of Chaotic Dynamics	413	(2)
Asteriods, Dinosaurs, and Geology: Catastrophic Events and the Theory of Mass Extinction	415	(3)
Solar System Exploration: 1970-2000	418	(3)
Planets Beyond Our Solar System	421	(3)
Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents: New World under the Ocean	424	(2)
A World Within: The Search for Subatomic Particles	426	(3)
Hubble Space Telescope and Its Influence on Astronomy	429	(3)
Buckyballs: Carbon Goes 3-D	432	(3)
En Route to a Grand Unified Theory: The Unification of Electromagnetism and the Weak Nuclear Force at the Turn of the 1970s	435	(2)
The International Geophysical Year (IGY), 1957-58	437	(4)
Biographical Sketches	441	(21)
Biographical Mentions	462	(11)
Bibliography of Primary Sources	473	(2)
Technology and Invention
Chronology of Key Events	475	(1)
Overview	476	(2)
Topical Essays
The Development of Integrated Circuits Makes Possible the Microelectronics Revolution	478	(2)
The Development of the Master and Laser Leads to Widespread Commercial and Research Applications	480	(4)
Nuclear Weaponry	484	(3)
Harnessing Solar Power and Earth's Renewable Energy Sources	487	(3)
Advances Related to Silicon Transistors Spur the Microelectronics Revolution	490	(2)
Nuclear Power	492	(3)
The Development of Computer Languages and Programmers	495	(3)
Xerox Introduces the First Photocopier	498	(2)
A Brief History of Robotics since 1950	500	(4)
The Advent of Modern Supertankers Facilitates the Transportation of Petroleum and Results in Environmental Catastrophe	504	(2)
Modern Airplane Technology: 1950-1999	506	(3)
The Development of Computer Operating Systems	509	(3)
The Explosion of Applications in Fiber Optics since 1960	512	(3)
The Evolution of Satellite Communications	515	(3)
The Development of the Video Recorder	518	(3)
The Development of Cellular Phones	521	(2)
The Internet Explosion	523	(2)
Advances in Microprocessor Technology	525	(3)
Calculators: A Pocket-Sized Revolution	528	(3)
Invention of the Bar Code Revolutionizes Retail Sales and Inventory Control	531	(3)
The Invention of the Fax Machine	534	(2)
The History, Development, and Importance of Personal Computers	536	(4)
The Invention of Compact Discs	540	(2)
Technological Disasters: The Modern Challenge to the Enlightenment	542	(3)
The Rise of the Appropriate Technology Movement	545	(2)
Futures Imperfect: Technology and Invention in the Twenty-First Century	547	(4)
Nuclear Submarines Revolutionize Naval Warfare, Intelligence Collection, and Spawn Technological Innovations	551	(2)
Biographical Sketches	553	(18)
Biographical Mentions	571	(10)
Bibliography of Primary Sources	581	(2)
General Bibliography	583	(2)
Index	585