Century Scientist Research Articles

First Sex- The Natufian Statue and Professor Dorothy Garrod

Objectives Our knowledge of the social structure of pre-historic peoples is limited by the scant physical record, largely limited to archeological fragments of biological materials, tools, and funereal art. The Natufian, who lived near present day Jerusalem around 9000 BCE, was a culture first identified by Dorothy Garrod, a British paleo-archeologist. The Natufian produced what may be the world’s first expression of sexuality in art in the Ain-Sakhri statue, depicting two figures intertwined in a coital embrace. Our aim was to better illustrate Garrod’s seminal work, and the significance of the Ain Sakhri statue in our understanding of pre-historical concepts of sexual self-awareness. Methods Archives of the British Museum (London), the Pitts River Museum and the Dorothy Garrod Photographic Archive (Oxford), the Mathurin collection at the Musée des Antiquités Nationales (St Germain-en-Laye, France), and digital. humanities.ox.ac.uk were consulted to identify biographical information on Dorothy Garrod and her archeological work. Secondary sources on the Natufian peoples and their art were identified through PubMed, digital archive sources, and the Garrod archives as cited. Results Dorothy Garrod (1892-1968) was a prolific early 20th century scientist in paleo archeology and a pioneer for women in a male-dominated field, the first prehistorian, and first woman, to be elected to a professorship at Cambridge University (19391952). She established comprehensive excavations in the Levant in the Middle East on Mount Carmel near Jerusalem where she identified the ancient Natufian cultures. There, her mentor, AH Breuil, had found a 10 cm stone figure, now known as the ‘Ain Sakhri’ figurine, from 9,000 BCE and identified by him to be a product of Garrod’s Natufian culture. Unlike other contemporary Natufian sculptures found in the Wadi Khareitoun region, which were worked in bone or antler, the Ain Sakhri was chiseled from calcite. The Ain Sakhri, depicting two intertwined figures and with a phallic shape, is regarded as the world’s oldest known sculpture of people making love. Conclusions Dorothy Garrod was a ground-breaking pioneer in paleo archeology and the 1st female professor at Cambridge from 1939-1952. Her early 20th century work on the Natufian people revealed a complex, sophisticated pre-historic culture which produced the Ain Sakhri, the first sculpted depiction of coitus, predating the historical record of sexual self-awareness by thousands of years.

Introduction to the special issue in honor of the contributions of Lynn Margulis (1938–2011) Lynn Margulis: a 20th -Century scientist and a visionary of biology

Introduction to the special issue in honor of the contributions of Lynn Margulis (1938–2011) Lynn Margulis: a 20th -Century scientist and a visionary of biology

Improving academic outcomes for minority students by highlighting the work of Norbert Rillieux

Focuses on diversity in hiring and promotion have been somewhat successful at increasing representation in chemical engineering and in company management. However, often the chokepoint preventing people of color from becoming involved in chemical engineering and other STEM fields is in undergraduate education. Despite similar levels of initial enrollment in STEM fields, people of color have a much lower rate of completion than their white peers. There are myriad factors for this, including lack of peer support, lack of mentorship opportunities, bias from professors, and other challenges. These problems may be outside the ability of chemical engineering faculty to fix, but one problem that can easily be improved on is the lack of representation of people of color and course materials. In this work, we discuss the contributions of Norbert Rillieux, a 19 th century scientist, entrepreneur, and one of the earliest chemical engineers. Rillieux was the son of a slave and her “owner”, but traveled to France to receive a first-class scientific education. Using a sophisticated separations system, Rillieux turned sugar from a luxury to a staple by improving the quality and quantity of sugar commercially available. Additionally, his work made sugar production far less dangerous for the enslaved people who worked in sugar production facilities. Despite his contributions to the field, Rillieux’s work has faded into anonymity. In addition to reintroducing his work, we discuss how Rillieux’s work can be used as part of thermodynamics, separations, or introductory engineering courses. Educators can use Rillieux and other examples to easily increase representation in the classroom and improve outcomes for students of color.

Introduction: “Science as a Vocation” as a Spiritual Exercise

This brief essay is an invitation to today’s sociologists to go back to Weber’s Science as a Vocation with Keith Tribe and Ian Hunter as guides. We highlight two main aspects of their readings. First, Science as a Vocation appears as an exemplary exercise on the sociology of academic life. Weber’s lecture is not only a diagnosis of the conditions of the early Twentieth century scientist. It formulates also a set of key questions that could guide the sociological diagnostic of the conditions of social research in contemporary universities. Second, Science as a Vocation is Weber’s spiritual exercise. It could be read as providing a stance that sociologists should follow in order to live up to the demands of their academic office.

Human Vision, Cosmic Forces and the 21st Century Scientist

Human Vision, Cosmic Forces and the 21^st Century Scientist

Cardiac regenerative medicine: At the crossroad of microRNA function and biotechnology.

There is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies to stimulate cardiac repair after damage, such as myocardial infarction. Already for more than a century scientist are intrigued by studying the regenerative capacity of the heart. While moving away from the old classification of the heart as a post-mitotic organ, and being inspired by the stem cell research in other scientific fields, mainly three different strategies arose in order to develop regenerative medicine, namely; the use of cardiac stem cells, reprogramming of fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes or direct stimulation of endogenous cardiomyocyte proliferation. MicroRNAs, known to play a role in orchestrating cell fate processes such as proliferation, differentiation and reprogramming, gained a lot of attention in this context the latest years. Indeed, several research groups have independently demonstrated that microRNA-based therapy shows promising results to induce heart tissue regeneration and improve cardiac pump function after myocardial injury. Nowadays, a whole new biotechnology field has been unveiled to investigate the possibilities for efficient, safe and specific delivery of microRNAs towards the heart.

First Illustration of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth

This poem is named after the 18th century mathematician and scientist John Playfair’s Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth , which is considered the founding text of modern geology. The poem’s speaker interprets aspects of the geological theory in the present and imagined future.

Nicolaus Steno: Biography and Original Papers of a 17th Century Scientist ed. by Troels Kardel, Paul Maquet (review)

Reviewed by: Nicolaus Steno: Biography and Original Papers of a 17th Century Scientist ed. by Troels Kardel, Paul Maquet Marco Bresadola Troels Kardel and Paul Maquet, eds. Nicolaus Steno: Biography and Original Papers of a 17th Century Scientist. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 2013. xxxviii + 739 pp. Ill. $139.00 (978-3-642-25078-1). Niels Steensen (Nicolaus Steno) was a major seventeenth-century Danish man of science who deserves continual in-depth historical study. He was the author of fundamental works in anatomy and geology, such as Elementorum miologiae specimen and De solido intra solidum prodromus. He was connected with prominent European scholars such as Thomas Bartholin, and with important scientific academies, including the Tuscan Accademia del Cimento. Reflecting the religious tensions typical of the time, he was educated in a Lutheran family, converted to Catholicism when he established himself in Tuscany, and finished his life as a bishop in northern Germany. The volume edited by Kardel and Maquet is thus a welcome contribution to the knowledge of the life and work of this very interesting figure. The volume is divided into three parts. The first part is the English translation of a biography of Steno written in German by Gustav Scherz and originally published in 1987. The second part is the English translation of Steno’s scientific papers, based on the edition of Nicolai Stenonis opera philosophica made by Vilhelm Maar in 1910. The third part includes the transcription of Steno’s anatomical [End Page 342] works in their original languages together with Maar’s scholarly annotations to his edition of Steno’s opera. The last part, however, is not to be found in the volume, but can be downloaded from the publisher’s website (which was unfortunately under maintenance in August 2014, when this review was written). In fact, the volume is more complex than this brief description indicates, as the two editors have added their own notes to Scherz’s biography and Steno’s works, have included new material such as a short discussion of “Stensen’s myology after Scherz” by Kardel (pp. 171–72), and have made some personal choices. For instance, they have omitted those original texts that can be found otherwise in print or in the web. Although these choices are clearly stated in the preface to the volume, some of them are rather unconvincing, like the decision to leave out the translation of some pages of the Elementorum miologiae specimen because their content is “without basis in observations” (p. 550, note a). According to the volume’s editors, Scherz’s work is the most exhaustive biography on Steno. It is a detailed reconstruction of Steno’s family and education, the periods he spent in Holland and France in the early 1660s, and his ten-year stay in Tuscany, interrupted by a long journey in Europe and a brief stay in Denmark. In 1677 his life changed abruptly, when he was nominated a Catholic bishop and began his religious career, which led him to several places in Germany until his death, in November 1686. This last part of Steno’s life was treated by Scherz in a second volume of his biography, which is not however included in Kardel and Maquet’s edition. This is a pity, and one can agree with the editor’s call for a new edition of the second volume of Scherz’s biography and of Steno’s theological papers. Scherz’s knowledge of Steno’s life and work is extensive, based not only on the published works of the Danish scholar, but also on the latter’s manuscripts and correspondence, which he also partly edited. His main interest, however, is for Steno’s religious ideas and trajectory from Lutheranism to Catholicism, which he, who was a Catholic priest, considers full of significance and exemplar. Indeed, he has been one of the main promoters of Steno’s beatification, which eventually came in 1988. Other aspects of Steno’s science are less developed in Scherz’s biography, as for instance his research on glands, whose implications were much wider than a simple dispute about who first discovered the parotid duct, on which Scherz mainly focuses. As a whole, however, Scherz’s biography...

Niels Stensen: A 17thCentury Scientist with a Modern View of Brain Organization

In 1665 the Danish scholar Niels Stensen (1638-1686) reached Paris, where he pronounced a discourse on brain anatomy that was to orient neuroscientists for years to come. In his lecture, Stensen rejected ancient speculations about animal spirits and criticized René Descartes and his followers who, despite a poor knowledge of brain anatomy, elaborated complex models to explain the multifaceted function of what he considered the principal organ of the human mind. He advocated the need for studying the brain through a comparative, developmental and pathological convergent approach and called for appropriate dissection methods and accurate illustrations. His own careful anatomical studies permitted him to precisely depict many brain structures. After pioneering works in paleontology and geology, he devoted himself to theology. In 1677 Stensen converted from Lutheranism to Catholicism and, while working relentlessly as a bishop and apostolic vicar in Northern Europe, he died in self-imposed poverty at age 48.

Satyendra Nath Bose – His Life and Times

Considering Bose's legendary association with Einstein and a remarkable discovery to his credit, one might expect him to be better known in the international sphere. However, little is known about him outside India. Quite often he is thought to be from Germany, name misspelt without the "umlaut" on "o". Even in India, he is often confused with Jagadish Chandra Bose, who was the first 19th century scientist from the country to have received worldwide recognition for his experiments on wireless transmission as well as his experiments with plants, demonstrating such vital characteristics in them as growth, nervous system and other distinguishing features of animal life.

Henry Power of Halifax: A Seventeenth Century Physician and Scientist

Henry Power of Halifax: A Seventeenth Century Physician and Scientist

Two‐way communication between genomics and society

The relationship between science and society has always been determined by the nature of scientific research, in particular its position on a gradient from basic to applied science. This has become even more prevalent in recent years, to the extent that the regard for and appreciation of scientific achievements places unprecedented emphasis on the tangible value of science to society—that is, the impact of research is increasingly associated with its potential to benefit the economy, health, welfare or standards of living. Many funding programmes now require that grant applications explicitly present the expected economic and societal payoff of the proposed research, and, in many cases, especially in policy‐driven research programmes, the economic or societal potential of the project is among the most important evaluation criteria. This current emphasis on applied research has evolved slowly. For centuries, science was primarily a curiosity‐driven enterprise, although many of the fruits of research were eventually applied and generated enormous economic and societal value. Over time, however, the balance has shifted towards a more intimate relationship between science and society in which scientists are accountable for the public money that they spend—a development that is driven and characterized by three main components. First, there is increasing public awareness that scientific advances might eventually have an impact on day‐to‐day life. This development has been stimulated both by the increasing reliance of modern societies on advanced technologies and by a significant increase in the education of the average citizen. Second, there is a growing feeling that publicly funded research should deliver value for money; consequently, science should inform and benefit society continuously. Third, there is a heightened awareness among scientists that they are a part of society, and that they have a responsibility to help to address economic, environmental and political problems. The archetypal nineteenth century scientist—concealed …

What You Don’t Know Can’t Hurt You. . . .

Hanging on the wall of my office is a reproduction of a work by the wonderful graphic artist Ben Shahn that rather fancifully depicts the 12th century physician and philosopher Moses Maimonides. Incorporated in stylized calligraphy at the base of his portrait is one of his sayings that strikes me as

Mister Bixby, Monsieur Bernard, and Some Other 19th Century Scientist–Philosophers on Knowledge-Based Actions

Following Mr. Bixby and some other 19th century scientist– philosophers such as Claude Bernard, relevant scientific actions should, as a matter of primary importance, be explained with reference to the competence and not to the intentions of those involved. The background is a reliabilist virtue approach – a widespread tendency in 19th century epistemology and philosophy of science. Bixby’s approach includes a critique of some constructivist arguments and establishes a mutually supportive connection to conceptions of scientific progress.

Albert Einstein’s patents

This paper presents a review and description of the patents of the 20th century scientist and philosopher Albert Einstein. The patents produced in collaboration with very prolific inventors cover the period of 1928–1936. Einstein’s patents included refrigerators, electromagnetic pumps, sound reproduction apparatus and light intensity self-adjusting cameras. This paper illustrates that patents are a valuable source of information for constructing historical profiles of Einstein’s colleagues. The paper concludes that the 20th century theories of Einstein continue to be an exceptionally valuable source of patentable ideas.

The patents of William Thomson (Lord Kelvin)

This paper presents a description and review of the patents––and many corresponding commercial products––of the 19th century scientist and entrepreneur William Thomson (Lord Kelvin). The patents cover the period from 1854 to 1907. William Thomson's patents included marine navigational apparatus and electrical measurement instruments. The paper concludes that the application of some of the 19th century theories of William Thomson continues to be a valuable source of patentable ideas.

History of science. Championing a 17th century underdog.

HISTORY OF SCIENCELONDON-- This 17th century scientist was an accomplished astronomer, inventor, surveyor, and architect who helped rebuild London after the Great Fire of 1666. He was also a maverick thinker who suggested evolution 2 centuries before Charles Darwin. Who was this polymath?

Etymology of the Genus Name Nostoc (Cyanobacteria)

The word Nostoch was invented by the 15th century scientist, philosopher, and alchemist Aureolus Philippus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (Paracelsus) to describe the gelatinous colonies of the ubiquitous terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune. It is proposed that Nostoch is a play on two words, an Old English word and a German word, which both describe that part of the human anatomy intimately associated with extracellular polysaccharide; Nost hryl and Nasenloch = Nostoch.

Emanuel Swedenborg

How is it that the name of a brilliant 18th century scientist and philosopher, many of whose exceptional achievements were often advanced for his time, is almost never mentioned in the annals of science? And how did it happen that a man very deeply dedicated to the advancement of science experienced a vision that completely altered the course of his life? We suggest, based on his extensive self-analytical writings, that the source of his spiritual experiences was temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and that he is among the group of creative religious thinkers also suspected or known to have had epilepsy, from St. Paul and Mohammed to Dostoevsky, who have changed Western civilization.

Characteristic curves and counting machines: Assessing style at the turn of the century

From 1887 to 1904, Science and The Popular Science Monthly published a series of articles on the characteristics of composition, articles pointed out an uneasy alliance between scientific methodology and traditional rhetorical assumptions about the nature of writing. This turn-of-the-century dispute between Robert Moritz and Thomas Mendenhall shows how early researchers in rhetoric cast their inquiries in scientific terms to gain the legitimacy of scientific findings. Further, the little-known debate can be read as a precursor to the many debates followed over whether and how quantitative methods can resolve questions in rhetorical inquiry, and more fundamentally, what vision of language underwrites the assumptions of such methods. The debate I want to focus on began with Mendenhall, who first argued for his version of composition analysis in the March 1887 issue of Science.' In this article, as well as in his papers of 1901 and 1904, he seeks to prove his hypothesis (based on a remark by Augustus DeMorgan) each author has a of composition. The curve is based on the frequency with which an author uses words of different lengths, is, one-letter words, two-letter words, and so on. The number of words of each length, when tabulated and graphed, shows the characteristic curve of author. Mendenhall was a noted nineteenth century scientist who published in a wide variety of areas, including geology, geography and science education. He was a president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and served for a time as an editor of Science. Thus a scientific approach to composition was for him merely an extension of methods he used in his daily work. Indeed, he originated his theory based on an analogy to spectral analysis, a method of determining the elements of a given physical substance. Just as each element gives forth a group of waves of definite length, and appearing in certain definite proportions (Mendenhall 1887, 238), so each person's style is marked by numerical constants--the frequency of words of each length. This analogy with spectral analysis reveals not only Mendenhall's procedure but also his notion of the inevitability of style. The style of people, like of elements, is determined by their nature and not their mode of existence; is, their texts are determined by inevitable displays of their fixed personality and not their rhetorical choices. The merits of this approach, according to Mendenhall, are that it offers a means of investigating and displaying the mere mechanism of composition, and it is purely mechanical in its application. (Mendenhall 1887, 245). Mechanism makes impossible human failings of choice and error: by focusing on a meaningless aspect of composition, the researcher can avoid the effects of deliberate changes by the author; by using a mechanistic data gathering method,