Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable
Ebook437 pages5 hours
The Third Lens: Metaphor and the Creation of Modern Cell Biology
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Does science aim at providing an account of the world that is literally true or objectively true? Understanding the difference requires paying close attention to metaphor and its role in science. In The Third Lens, Andrew S. Reynolds argues that metaphors, like microscopes and other instruments, are a vital tool in the construction of scientific knowledge and explanations of how the world works. More than just rhetorical devices for conveying difficult ideas, metaphors provide the conceptual means with which scientists interpret and intervene in the world.
Reynolds here investigates the role of metaphors in the creation of scientific concepts, theories, and explanations, using cell theory as his primary case study. He explores the history of key metaphors that have informed the field and the experimental, philosophical, and social circumstances under which they have emerged, risen in popularity, and in some cases faded from view. How we think of cells—as chambers, organisms, or even machines—makes a difference to scientific practice. Consequently, an accurate picture of how scientific knowledge is made requires us to understand how the metaphors scientists use—and the social values that often surreptitiously accompany them—influence our understanding of the world, and, ultimately, of ourselves.
The influence of metaphor isn’t limited to how we think about cells or proteins: in some cases they can even lead to real material change in the very nature of the thing in question, as scientists use technology to alter the reality to fit the metaphor. Drawing out the implications of science’s reliance upon metaphor, The Third Lens will be of interest to anyone working in the areas of history and philosophy of science, science studies, cell and molecular biology, science education and communication, and metaphor in general.
Reynolds here investigates the role of metaphors in the creation of scientific concepts, theories, and explanations, using cell theory as his primary case study. He explores the history of key metaphors that have informed the field and the experimental, philosophical, and social circumstances under which they have emerged, risen in popularity, and in some cases faded from view. How we think of cells—as chambers, organisms, or even machines—makes a difference to scientific practice. Consequently, an accurate picture of how scientific knowledge is made requires us to understand how the metaphors scientists use—and the social values that often surreptitiously accompany them—influence our understanding of the world, and, ultimately, of ourselves.
The influence of metaphor isn’t limited to how we think about cells or proteins: in some cases they can even lead to real material change in the very nature of the thing in question, as scientists use technology to alter the reality to fit the metaphor. Drawing out the implications of science’s reliance upon metaphor, The Third Lens will be of interest to anyone working in the areas of history and philosophy of science, science studies, cell and molecular biology, science education and communication, and metaphor in general.
Unavailable
Related to The Third Lens
Related ebooks
The Structure and Confirmation of Evolutionary Theory Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsScience and Certainty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExperiments of the Mind: From the Cognitive Psychology Lab to the World of Facebook and Twitter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEvolutionary Theory: A Hierarchical Perspective Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Darwinian Reductionism: Or, How to Stop Worrying and Love Molecular Biology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Idealization and the Aims of Science Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnalysis of the Phenomena of the Human Mind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEssays in Experimental Logic Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExplaining Things: Inventing Ourselves and Our Worlds Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMental Causation: The Mind-Body Problem Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProcess Philosophy: A Synthesis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAspects of Knowing: Epistemological Essays Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What We Mean by Experience Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Genetics Of Altruism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Nonsense of Kant and Lewis Carroll: Unexpected Essays on Philosophy, Art, Life, and Death Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnalytic and Linguistic Trends Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOn the Gait of Animals Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLives in Science: How Institutions Affect Academic Careers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFreedom, Nature, and World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComments on Derek Bickerton's Book (2014) More than Nature Needs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCreative Intelligence Essays in the Pragmatic Attitude Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOrigins of Physiological Regulations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow Life Began: A Speculative Study in Modern Biology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEmbodied Knowledge: Historical Perspectives on Belief and Technology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSystems Biology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Great Philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Saint Thomas Aquinas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlame Game. How To Win It Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Anthem Companion to Gabriel Tarde Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Philosophy Is For Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Biology For You
"Cause Unknown": The Epidemic of Sudden Deaths in 2021 & 2022 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Winner Effect: The Neuroscience of Success and Failure Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ (Revised Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Crack In Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Blood of Emmett Till Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy 101: From Muscles and Bones to Organs and Systems, Your Guide to How the Human Body Works Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma and Adversity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies My Gov't Told Me: And the Better Future Coming Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peptide Protocols: Volume One Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Letter to Liberals: Censorship and COVID: An Attack on Science and American Ideals Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Woman: An Intimate Geography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Obesity Code: the bestselling guide to unlocking the secrets of weight loss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dopamine Detox: Biohacking Your Way To Better Focus, Greater Happiness, and Peak Performance Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Genius Kitchen: Over 100 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Make Your Brain Sharp, Body Strong, and Taste Buds Happy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAll That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Suicidal: Why We Kill Ourselves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Will Make You Smarter: 150 New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Third Lens
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews