In this research, an educational approach to the concept of energy is proposed. It is based on the history of physics. In 1854 Hermann Hemlholtz gave a popular lecture on the recent discovery that energy is conserved. Such lecture is used as a guide to introduce the pupils within several nuances of this concept. Not much mathematics is used, so…

It has been 150 years since D.I. Mendeleev formulated the Periodic law and expressed it visually in the form of a table of elements in 1869. As is clearly well known today, Mendeleev's ideas, confirmed by the discovery of the elements he predicted, turned out to be very promising indeed. However, Mendeleev was not the first, nor the only scientist…

In this paper, we present and discuss a teaching strategy for the concept of energy at high school based on history and philosophy of science (HPS) and dealing with Joule's experiment (Joule J. Philos Mag 3(31):173-176, 1847a) and Rankine's definition (Rankine W. Edinburgh New Philos J 3:121-141, 1855). This sequence has been developed and…

How can we begin to imagine a post-modern rendering of science education when the disciples of science continue to cling so firmly to a creation myth in which Science, like Botticelli's Venus stepping forth from a clam shell, breaks away from the pre-modern metaphysical commitments of religion, magic and the superstition in a singular event called…

The Livio Gratton is a small size "Planetarium" (40-seat capacity) located in Latina (near Rome, Italy); it belongs to the Scientific High School G.B. Grassi since its construction in 2003. In less than eighteen months of activity the number of admissions has been superior to 4000, but the situation was rather different previously, when…

The Nature of science (NOS) has been thought of as an important component of "Science literacy" that the goal of standards-based science education. The aim of this paper try to present NOS for science education. Hereby, we may compile and notice where we promote students' understanding NOS. We find the highlight by using…

Since its origination in the late 19th Century, the warfare metaphor has been used to characterize the relationship between science and religion, especially orthodox Christianity. Though thoroughly discredited by historians of science, the ideological descendants of Thomas Huxley, who spoke of science in quasi-religious terms, have kept the…

This article provides for a concise history of nonlinearity from the context of the changing assumptions in science throughout the turn of the twentieth century. Concerned with the development of an ethics of technology in higher education, it establishes a background for ongoing research on quantitative methods in the social sciences. The history…

Discusses the development of physical organic chemistry: (1) before 1920; (2) from 1920 to 1930; (3) from 1930 to 1940; and (4) after 1940. Major accomplishments in these periods are noted. (JN)

With the emergence in physics of relativity and quantum theories in the first decade of this century a paradigm shift took place from a predominantly mechanistic to a dynamic world view. This shift formed the basis of the New Science Movement, including the new physics, in the 1970s. The movement is international, interdisciplinary, dynamic, and…

Discusses two "golden" ages in geological investigations/inquiry. The first, extending from the late eighteenth century through the early nineteenth century, established geology as a science based on naturalistic principles. The second, beginning after World War II, is characterized by advances in geological specialities and explanations…

Provides a summary of the presentations at the "Epic of Evolution" conference held by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (November 12-14, 1997). Describes the impact of the conference in relation to the work of Montessori and the work of Montessori teachers in scientific pursuits in the classroom. (SD)

This paper examines the origins of the principle of free expression as worked out by Galileo. It is intended to supplement standard histories of the development of free expression and to recover its history as part of the political project of postmodernism. The paper resurrects Galileo's encounters with entrenched beliefs in order to position free…

This paper is concerned with two pervasive and apparently reliable theories, namely, those general accounts of the status of science and art which seem to form part of the "bedrock" of contemporary thinking. The first section discusses what are taken to be the most commonly accepted and highly legitimized general accounts of both science…

This paper emphasizes the historical and philosophical roots of science and technology. It addresses questions about the origins of science with its emphasis on knowing, understanding, and explaining aspects of the human world and the origins of technology with its focus on using materials and tools to design and make artifacts of value. A case…