2000 HSS/PSA Program 1 - History of Science Society

HSS Abstracts
and to promote an educational program that was rejected by the Jesuits. The
Oratoire, in their turn, used Descartes and Cartesianism to fortify their
scholarship and distinguish their new schools from those of the Jesuits.
JoAnn Palmeri Independent Scholar
Sagan and Shapley:
The Astronomer as Prophet of Science in the Twentieth Century
The striking parallels between Carl Sagan and Harlow Shapley are explored in
this comparative account of the public careers of these two prominent twentiethcentury
astronomers and science popularizers. The fact that studies of the origin,
nature and fate of the universe are for most people connected to fundamental
questions of spiritual and philosophical significance has assured the continuing
mass appeal of astronomical and cosmological inquiry. Two of the most widely
read popularizers of the early part of century, Eddington and Jeans, incorporated
spiritual and philosophical perspectives in their popular accounts of the universe.
In the late twentieth century, the merging of astronomical and evolutionary
perspectives has made the cosmic landscape that much more compelling as an
arena for scientists and laymen alike. Perhaps the most well-known proponent
of evolution on a cosmic level was Carl Sagan, the planetary scientist and
astronomer who gained worldwide fame in the 1980s with his popularization
efforts, including his most well-known opus, the television series Cosmos. With
humanity’s place and ultimate fate at issue, the cosmos has become a forum for
exploring questions of enduring significance, a nexus for public conversation
on the issue of the relationship of science and religion as well as the question of
the relevance of science for contemporary society. In the process, scientists like
Sagan have helped to shape the role of the astronomer as prophet of science. As
an astronomer with strong biological inclinations, one who popularized the issue
of the life in the universe, characterized humans as “star stuff,” presented science
as a kind of revealed religion, sought cooperation with the Soviet Union as a
means to preserve civilization, and presented his message to viewers of the
popular television program The Tonight Show, Shapley’s story serves as an
intriguing prelude and comparative case for the subsequent activities of Sagan.
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David␣ A. Pantalony University of Toronto, Institute for the History and
Philosophy of Science and Technology
Bringing Sound Into the Laboratory:
The Visual Analysis of Compound Tones
The publication of “Die Lehre von den Tonempfindungen” (On the Sensations
of Tone) by Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) in 1863 inspired the growth