Comments on Bowler & Morus' Textbook

or , "What is Needed to "uncover" a Chapter"

History Textbook

They are both History Professors.
They wrote this book (Making Modern Science) to use for a History Class
. . . for History majors (Jr/Sr) as student clientelle

We're going to try to use this book for a Science Class
. . . for you as science students ... (and your future science students)

Bowler often overstates a minor disagreement about some detail, as if a general consensus was lacking
. . . we will need to downplay (almost ignore) the minor bickering by historians
      so that we can emphasize the science and technology itself, which is our focus.

Bowler & Morus like to stick to a narrative for each of their chapters
. . . so the story-line is OFTEN not following chronological time-order
      which is almost always better to extract cause-to-effect reasoning.
=> Chapter information should be re-ordered so we can more easily tell
      what scientist preceded, and which scientist followed (or rejected afterward)

This is NOT to make the course about names and dates ... it's so time re-arrangements do not lead to causal mix-ups !

the authors, and their History major classrooms, either
      a) know a lot about all the sciences
      b) are willing to look-up what they don't know
      c) don't care if they understand the science
. . . At least two main ideas in each chapter are merely mentioned
      being left very hazy, rather than be explained clearly.
. . . We will not act that way.
=> the "Presenter" is responsible for clarifying all the details about the old supplanted ideas
      as well as the new ideas that replaced them. Concrete examples help!

In a typical chapter, Bowler & Morus will fail to mention (or barely mention) a really important figure or idea.
      maybe because other historians ignore them ... maybe too long ago ...
. . . We will not act this way.
=> the Presenter is responsible for finding an omitted person or idea,
      and describing their niche in relation to the other people and ideas in that chapter.
=> the Presenter should judge which field/subfield is "most greatly changed" in their chapter,
      and bring that field up-to-date from when it was previously left.

Some fields and subfields don't get much press coverage (especially Chemistry)
      we want to include the Big Ideas in all : Astronomy, Biology / Medicine, Chemistry, Geology, Physics
. . . not all in the same chapter, but taking turns to eventually cover _all_ their main aspects

Anecdotes which "humanize" these heroes (or villians) in science history are strongly encouraged!

Bowler & Morus have no questions at the end of any chapter
. . . they do not intend to see whether their History Majors "get" the science, or the social conditions that prevailed then.
=> the Presenter will need to come up with questions (and a grading key ;^>)
      probing the science , but also how and why the science developed as it did