About the Editor viii About the Contributors ix Acknowledgements xvi Introduction 1Bernard Lightman 1 Historiography of the History of Science 7Lynn K. Nyhart Part I Roles 23 2 Learned Man and Woman in Antiquity and the Middle Ages 25Nathan Sidoli 3 Go-Betweens, Travelers, and Cultural Translators 39Kapil Raj 4 The Alchemist 58Tara Nummedal 5 The Natural Philosopher 71Peter Dear 6 The Natural Historian 84Kristin Johnson 7 Invisible Technicians, Instrument Makers, and Artisans 97Iwan Rhys Morus 8 Scientific illustrators 111Valérie Chansigaud 9 The Human Experimental Subject 126Anita Guerrini 10 Amateurs 139Katherine Pandora 11 The Man of Science 153Paul White 12 The Professional Scientist 164Cyrus C. M. Mody Part II Places and Spaces 179 13 The Medieval University 181Steven J. Livesey 14 The Observatory 196Robert W. Smith 15 The Court 210Bruce T. Moran 16 Academies and Societies 224Denise Phillips 17 Museums and Botanical Gardens 238Lukas Rieppel 18 Domestic Space 252Donald L. Opitz 19 Commercial Science 268Paul Lucier 20 The Field 282Robert E. Kohler and Jeremy Vetter 21 The Laboratory 296Catherine M. Jackson 22 Modern School and University 310Heike Jöns Part III Communication 329 23 Manuscripts 331Joyce van Leeuwen 24 The Printing Press 344Nick Wilding 25 Correspondence Networks 358Brian Ogilvie 26 Translations 372Marwa Elshakry and Carla Nappi 27 Journals and Periodicals 387Aileen Fyfe 28 Textbooks 400Josep Simon 29 Lectures 414Diarmid A. Finnegan 30 Film, Radio, and Television 428David A. Kirby Part IV Tools of Science 443 31 Timing Devices 445Rory McEvoy 32 Weights and Measures 459Hector Vera 33 Calculating Devices and Computers 472Matthew L. Jones 34 Specimens and Collections 488Mary E. Sunderland 35 Recording Devices 500Jimena Canales 36 Microscopes 515Boris Jardine 37 Telescopes 530Jim Bennett 38 Prisms, Spectroscopes, Spectrographs, and Gratings 543Klaus Hentschel 39 Diagrams 557Charlotte Bigg 40 Three Dimensional Models 572Joshua Nall and Liba Taub Index 587

A COMPANION TO THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE "A triumph of organization, this remarkable work is the best place to start for anyone who wants to understand current debates in this rapidly changing field." James A. Secord, University of Cambridge "Scholarship in the history of science is flourishing, covering more ground, with a richer variety of sources and questions, than ever before. This engaging, timely volume highlights some of the big themes that animate many studies today. Leading historians trace changing roles, places, partnerships, and techniques with which people have endeavored to make sense of the natural world. An impressive and important volume." David Kaiser, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "From alchemists and academies to translations and three-dimensional models, the topics that matter most to today's historians of science are here introduced accessibly and authoritatively. An indispensable volume for newcomers and not-so-newcomers alike." Gregory Radick, University of Leeds Over the last 35 years, the study of the history of science has undergone a shift in historiographical approach. While scholars previously focused on the history of abstract scientific discoveries by key figures like Galileo and Newton, contemporary science historians are turning to focus on richer, more descriptive studies within specific and local contexts. A Companion to the History of Science captures this move away from abstract theories and into more intimate analysis of science in its cultural, political, and social contexts. It aims to survey recent developments that have resulted from the effort to re-envision the field. The volume includes 40 original essays written by experts in the field, structured around four analytical categories: roles, places and spaces, communication, and tools of science. Contributors cut across traditional chronological and geographical boundaries to provide thematic analysis of these topics, including discussion of both Western and non-Western themes throughout the volume. These critical essays synthesize the major debates and issues that dominate current scholarly discussion, and point the way for future inquiry.