There seems to be a lot confusion in the replies here regarding what Audra is saying — which is an entirely uncontroversial statement within the academic disciplines that study how science works now and in the past (e.g., the History, Anthropology, & Sociology of Science).https://twitter.com/ColdWarScience/status/1017211382176059392 …
-
Show this thread
-
Replying to @wellerstein
Also, I don't think there is any evidence that Rutherford's discovery of the nucleus was political..nor have I ever sen any evidence that the early quantum theory .was impacted by politics....perhpas the tweet pertians to technology more than to science
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes -
Replying to @CormacORafferty
Cormac, you're I believe misunderstanding "political" again. But at a basic level, with early QM: why was it that early QM was overrepresented by Jewish practitioners? Because (as I am sure you know) they were excluded from experimental work for racial reasons.
2 replies 0 retweets 4 likes -
Replying to @wellerstein
No, that is one possible reason, beloved by STS scholars. Jewish theoreticians thrived in many other places where they were not discriminated against. Again, you are talking about the reaction to discoveries, not the discoveries themselves....do you ever listen to a physicist?
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes -
Replying to @CormacORafferty
Discrimination against Jews in higher education was widespread even into the 1950s, even in America — surely you are aware of this? But anyway, surely you are not going to deny that the pervasive racism and sexism somehow didn't apply to areas of science?
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes -
Replying to @wellerstein @CormacORafferty
(And to ask your snarky question — I've listened to many a physicist, Cormac! Some of my best colleagues are physicists. And some of my favorite historians are physicists, too. But I also listen to lots of different forms of expertise. All part of the job, alas.)
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes -
Replying to @wellerstein @CormacORafferty
I am saying that the context of the discoveries is itself necessarily shaped by the context in which the work is done. Full stop. It might be subtle, it might be extreme. Depends on the circumstance. But it's there. Hard to imagine what a context-free discovery would look like.
3 replies 0 retweets 1 like -
Replying to @wellerstein
"If people have strong political responses to science, then it's hard to argue that there isn't something political going on". I profoundly disagree with this statement and so would almost any scientist I know. Context doesn't have to be political, goodnight and good luck
1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
If you want to understand my position, Cormac, you need to take the time to read it. I am pretty sure you have probably not really read it and certainly not understood it. (If you don't want to — then don't! I will never force you.)
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.