The Replication of Hertz's Cathode Ray Experiments

I reappraise in detail Hertz's cathode ray experiments. I show that, contrary to Buchwald's (1995) evaluation, the core experiment establishing the electrostatic properties of the rays was successfully replicated by Perrin (probably) and Thomson (certainly). Buchwald's discussion of ‘current purification’ is shown to be a red herring. My investigation of the origin of Buchwald's misinterpretation of this episode reveals that he was led astray by a focus on what Hertz ‘could do’—his experimental resources. I argue that one should focus instead on what Hertz wanted to achieve—his experimental goals. Focusing on these goals, I find that his explicit and implicit requirements for a successful investigation of the rays’ properties are met by Perrin and Thomson. Thus, even by Hertz's standards, they did indeed replicate his experiment.     

Hertz's Mechanics and a unitary notion of force

Heinrich Hertz dedicated the last four years of his life to a systematic reformulation of mechanics. One of the main issues that troubled Hertz in the customary formulation of mechanics was a ‘logical obscurity’ in the notion of force. However, it is unclear what this logical obscurity was, hence it is unclear how Hertz took himself to have avoided it.In this paper, I argue that a subtle ambiguity in Newton's original laws of motion lay at the basis of Hertz's concerns; an ambiguity which led to the development of two slightly different notions of force. I then show how Hertz avoided this ambiguity by deriving a unitary notion of force, thus dispelling the obscurity that lurked in the customary representation of mechanics.     

Die Galois-Theorie von Heinrich Weber bis Emil Artin

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Experimental philosophy of biology: notes from the field

I use a recent ‘experimental philosophy’ study of the concept of the gene conducted by myself and collaborators to discuss the broader epistemological framework within which that research was conducted, and to reflect on the relationship between science, history and philosophy of science, and society.     

Preliminary notes on the Ostracoda of the Gulf of Naples

Riassunto Discussione sulla nomenclatura e tassonomia correnti degli Ostracodi del golfo di Napoli e sul loro ambiente naturale. Si propongono 6 nuovi nomi.

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Supported by NSF Grant No. G-14562.     

Experimentation in the cosmic laboratory

It might seem impossible to apply Ian Hacking's experimental argument for scientific realism to astrophysical objects; indeed Hacking himself expressed scepticism about extragalactic entities. Such astrophysical antirealism has been the subject of intense debate and is usually seen as an undesired consequence of experimental realism. In this paper, I claim that it is possible to recast the experimental argument by reference to James Woodward's non-anthropocentric account of experimentation so as to apply it to astrophysical entities, such as gravitational lenses. I also argue that this new formulation of the experimental argument solves several problems with Hacking's original version.     

Spontaneous thyroiditis in laboratory rats

Zusammenfassung Spontane Schilddrüsenentzündung wurde in einer Gruppe von BUF Ratten beobachtet. Das histopathologische Bild der Schilddrüse wies grosse ähnlichkeit mit Hashimoto's Schilddrüsenentzündung sowie experimentell hervorgerufener allergischer Thyroiditis in Laboratoriumstieren auf.     

Nature in the laboratory — nature as a laboratory. Considerations about the ethics of release experiments

Field tests with genetically modified organisms go beyond the boundaries of the politically and morally neutralized space that normally surrounds scientific experiments. They enter public areas. As a social process of shaping nature they are political in a fundamental sense. Consequences of this observation concern the legitimacy of decisions and the legitimacy of deciding procedures. The political rights of citizens and their human rights can only be respected if these procedures are democratic. Without a more serious exploration of the specific circumstances of release tests — for example, the precise ecological context, the consequences for the future development of the affected ecosystem, the social consequences, and the possible institutional ways of establishing gene technology in agriculture — we do not really know what we are doing when we release transgenic organisms. Moral judgements today can therefore only be prima facie, not free from shortcomings. As responsible judges we must confess that we are still morally blind.     

The osmotic fragility of thrombocytes of laboratory animals

Zusammenfassung Die osmotische Resistenz von Thrombozyten fünf verschiedener Tierarten wurde untersucht und mit der osmotischen Resistenz menschlicher Thrombozyten verglichen. Ein Zusammenhang zwischen der osmotischen Resistenz der Thrombozyten und Erythrozyten der gleichen Tierart konnte gezeigt werden.     

Peritoneal dialysis in small laboratory animals

Summary Healthy rats and guinea-pigs were treated with a simple method of continuous peritoneal dialysis for 12, 24 and 48 h. Increasing with time, both animal species developed severe hypoproteinemia and hemoconcentration due to protein loss into the dialyzate fluid. These changes were associated with a high mortality rate, when Sterofundin^® was used for dialysis. Therefore, protein loss should be substituted and the type of dialyzate must be considered in experimental long-term dialysis using these small laboratory animals.Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, La 369/1.Acknowledgment. Our thanks are due to Jutta Otto and Ulrich Oberdieck for expert technical assistance.