Comments on: ScienceOnline09: The Web and the History of Science http://ideonexus.com/2009/01/21/scienceonline09-the-web-and-the-history-of-science/ Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:43:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ideonexus http://ideonexus.com/2009/01/21/scienceonline09-the-web-and-the-history-of-science/comment-page-1/#comment-10680 ideonexus Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:25:35 +0000 http://ideonexus.com/?p=2727#comment-10680 Laurel, I have to agree with you in finding the IAU's decision semantically confusing (The whole <a href="http://ideonexus.com/2007/08/31/jupiterday-diatribe-pluto-is-still-a-planet-still/" rel="nofollow">"Dwarf Planet" debacle</a> was ridiculous.) Laelaps, Thanks for the <i>Summer for the Gods</i> tip. I've only read <i>Six Days or Forever</i>, and feel a little left out for all the additional details of the trial that I have learned about since. Your posts on this subject are fantastic, and I recommend anyone following this thread to check them out. Laurel,

I have to agree with you in finding the IAU’s decision semantically confusing (The whole “Dwarf Planet” debacle was ridiculous.)

Laelaps,

Thanks for the Summer for the Gods tip. I’ve only read Six Days or Forever, and feel a little left out for all the additional details of the trial that I have learned about since. Your posts on this subject are fantastic, and I recommend anyone following this thread to check them out.

]]> By: Laelaps http://ideonexus.com/2009/01/21/scienceonline09-the-web-and-the-history-of-science/comment-page-1/#comment-10664 Laelaps Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:28:01 +0000 http://ideonexus.com/?p=2727#comment-10664 Hi Ryan. I'm glad you enjoyed the session! It was a lot of fun to participate in. I like your point about W.J. Bryan, and I have written about him and his motivations on my blog before http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2008/05/john_scopes_and_textbook_cardb.php http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2008/12/does_this_look_familiar.php http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2008/11/with_the_election_of_barack.php I recommend Ed Larson's "Summer for the Gods" if you're really interested in the Scopes Trial, a true legal circus. Bryan did find eugenics tasteful, but his anti-evolutionary stance actually goes back a few years to WWI. Bryan became convinced that the Germans were motivated by "Darwinism" and therefore evolution had to be opposed (even though he accepted evolution for non-human life personally). Either way, the story is much more complex than what is currently presented and I hope the session encouraged you to dig deeper into the history of science. Hi Ryan. I’m glad you enjoyed the session! It was a lot of fun to participate in.

I like your point about W.J. Bryan, and I have written about him and his motivations on my blog before

http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2008/05/john_scopes_and_textbook_cardb.php

http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2008/12/does_this_look_familiar.php

http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2008/11/with_the_election_of_barack.php

I recommend Ed Larson’s “Summer for the Gods” if you’re really interested in the Scopes Trial, a true legal circus. Bryan did find eugenics tasteful, but his anti-evolutionary stance actually goes back a few years to WWI. Bryan became convinced that the Germans were motivated by “Darwinism” and therefore evolution had to be opposed (even though he accepted evolution for non-human life personally). Either way, the story is much more complex than what is currently presented and I hope the session encouraged you to dig deeper into the history of science.

]]> By: Laurel Kornfeld http://ideonexus.com/2009/01/21/scienceonline09-the-web-and-the-history-of-science/comment-page-1/#comment-10659 Laurel Kornfeld Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:13:27 +0000 http://ideonexus.com/?p=2727#comment-10659 There is a good chance future generations will learn of Pluto as a planet though one of as many as 200 in our solar system rather than one of nine. The controversial IAU demotion is unlikely to stand; it is vague, makes no linguistic sense, and has been rejected by many astronomers who even now are working to get Pluto reinstated and all dwarf planets categorized as a subclass of planets (which the current IAU definition precludes). The term "plutoids," which is pretty much universally disliked, will likely fall into obscurity. There is a good chance future generations will learn of Pluto as a planet though one of as many as 200 in our solar system rather than one of nine. The controversial IAU demotion is unlikely to stand; it is vague, makes no linguistic sense, and has been rejected by many astronomers who even now are working to get Pluto reinstated and all dwarf planets categorized as a subclass of planets (which the current IAU definition precludes). The term “plutoids,” which is pretty much universally disliked, will likely fall into obscurity.

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