As much as most popular and textbook accounts of the development of different sciences considers them in isolation, the uncomfortable truth is that for most of the history of science, alchemy and chemistry were the same discipline, astronomy and astrology were the same discipline, and medical knowledge was comprised little but superstition. Eliding these facts actually is a disservice to the student, because they demonstrate the tremendous power of the scientific method to trump tradition and abandon quack hypotheses. Casual observation tells us that other institutions hold on to falsehoods far longer and with far more stubbornness.
A Note on the History of Science
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Hi Will, I mailed your packages on Friday and am hoping they get to Jen’s work by the end of the week. Have you ever read the book “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson? He talks about the different sciences in the order that people started being interested in each one. He mentions people that did a lot for each one and people that did a ton and get no mention in the history books. He is a funny guy and he makes the subject matter, which can be dry and uninteresting , really accessible and fun. I have it and have read it twice. Lv, Me