SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " table " 8,891 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Jordan Hall Out, Brady Pretzlaff In: Michigan State Availability Report
Reinforcements arrive in Madison as the Spartans regain key defensive depth, leaning on freshman standout Brady Pretzlaff to anchor the linebacking corps despite devastating injuries to two stars.
🚨 England name starting XI to face Croatia
England continue their Nations League journey on Saturday with a match against Croatia. Here is how the Three Lions set up ahead of kickoff. One notable change is Jarell Quansah starting ahead of Tre...
Clemson Tigers Star Lands Jarring NFL Draft Ranking
This Clemson Tigers star has landed a jarring ranking for the 2027 NFL Draft.
Cleveland Guardians Finalize ALDS Roster, Game 1 Starting Lineup
The Cleveland Guardians announce their ALDS roster and who will start Game 1 against the Chicago White Sox.
Yankees' Aaron Judge Gets More Bad News Before ALDS
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was slapped with some more bad news before the ALDS.
5 Illinois Players to Watch vs. Purdue Boilermakers
Here are five Illinois players to watch for Saturday's 4:15 p.m. home game against the Purdue Boilermakers.
Nationals Face Multiple Arbitration Decisions Ahead of 2027
The Washington Nationals have multiple arbitration eligible players to address following the 2026 regular season
Jose Alvarado Assures He Always Wanted to Return to Knicks
Jose Alvarado feels that the Knicks are his home.
Clippers Rookie Keaton Wagler Is Challenging Himself in Training Camp
Keaton Wagler is looking to increase his effort on the court.
One Jazz Offseason Acquisition That is Has Flown Under Radar
Josh Okogie should be an important piece for Utah.
Former Toronto Blue Jays Farmhand Led MLB in Hits in 2026
Otto Lopez began his career in the Blue Jays organization before getting designated for assignment in 2024.
Should The Miami Heat Add One More Guard Before Season?
Following a franchise-altering blockbuster, Miami’s championship rotation remains one piece short. Jordan Hawkins is now a free agent, offering the depth needed to solidify an uncertain backcourt.
Bucks Owner Gives High Praise to New Coach Taylor Jenkins
Going into the first year of a monumental rebuild, new Bucks head coach Taylor Jenkins has total backing from the franchise's leadership.
QB Daniels Must Deliver for Seminoles Against Virginia
Florida State needs QB Ashton Daniels to protect the football, make plays, and finally deliver a complete game against Virginia.
Can Skydance CEO David Ellison Make Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Fly?
David Ellison has to prove the merged Paramount-Warner Bros., dubbed Skydance, can become a profitable Hollywood powerhouse amid its massive debt.
Ferrari News: Leclerc, Hamilton Exclude Fred Vasseur From Criticism
Lewis Hamilton gave his support to team principal Fred Vasseur, but remains critical of Ferrari's leadership structure.
Former UCF EDGE Lawrence Continues Productive Start to Rookie Season
Though he hasn't recorded a sack, Dallas's first-round pick leads all rookies in pass rush win rate by translating his versatile UCF skill set to the professional stage.
Syracuse Football Fans Upset With Program's Social Media Post
Orange fans did not appreciate a Friday social media post by the team that seemed to target fans on Friday.
Northwestern Running Game Explodes for 413 Yards Against Penn State
Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II each surpassed 150 rushing yards as Northwestern piled up 415 yards on the ground in a dominant 34-13 win over Penn State.
Dodgers Could Use Four Different Closers This Postseason
Dave Roberts plans to lean on situational flexibility, leveraging a deep Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen headlined by Tanner Scott.
Could Brewers' Woodruff Return in the 2026 Postseason?
Cleared for mound work, Brandon Woodruff is racing against time to rejoin the Milwaukee Brewers rotation.
Chang’e-6 lunar soil contains a surprising magnetic time capsule
Scientists studying Chang’e-6 lunar soil have discovered a previously unknown magnetic mineral in natural Moon samples: a form of metallic iron called γ-Fe. Found inside tiny impact-glass particles, the nanoscale iron can preserve a stable magnetic signal, potentially acting like a microscopic fossil of the Moon’s long-lost magnetic field.
Angels Have Some Intriguing Arbitration Numbers Coming
The Los Angeles Angels have 11 players eligible for arbitration, including a couple of big names.
White Sox vs. Guardians: Two Keys to Winning the ALDS
The White Sox face a familiar rival in Cleveland as they look to keep their magical postseason run alive and advance to the ALCS. Here’s how they can do it.
What to Watch For: New England Patriots Defense vs. Buffalo Bills Offense
The New England Patriots begin AFC East play this weekend with a trip to Buffalo to take on the Bills. We review what New England’s defense will need to do to slow Josh Allen and Buffalo’s high-powered offense.
Viktor Gyokeres Sets Nations League Record After Sweden Goal
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres scored in a sixth successive Nations League game as Sweden drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Three Last-Minute North Carolina vs. Notre Dame Predictions
The North Carolina Tar Heels face a juggernaut in Kenan Stadium.
OKC Thunder’s Big 3 Discuss Offseason Improvement
Oklahoma City Thunder training camp is officially underway and the fruits of every player's hard work over the summer will be on full display for all to see soon.
Three Last-Minute Florida vs. Missouri Predictions
Fresh off a dominant upset, the Florida Gators' high-octane offense prepares to dismantle a depleted Missouri defense.
Vikings Climb Three Spots in Latest ESPN Power Rankings
The Minnesota Vikings have climbed three spots in the latest ESPN power rankings following Week 3.
Complete Schedule Released For Padres-Brewers NLDS
Fresh off a dominant sweep, the Padres head to Milwaukee to face the top-seeded Brewers. Discover the full rotation plans and kickoff times for this electric postseason showdown.
Opinion | Opinion: What the Cornell Lawsuit Reveals About Sexual Violence in America
The columnist David French argues that “we have privileged getting wasted over taking care of people.”
Broncos Lineman Fined For Dice Roll Celebration
Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz was part of a unique celebration against the Rams, and it'll cost him $15K.
Wizards Notes: Bilal Coulibaly's Shot, Carrington's Comments
Notes from Friday's practice for the Washington Wizards on Bilal Coulibaly's improved shot, Deandre Ayton's impact and Bub Carrington's comments
Yaxel Lendeborg Shares His Expectations for Rookie Season With Warriors
Yaxel Lendeborg has set expectations for his year with the Golden State Warriors.
Three Georgia Bulldogs Keys to Victory Against Vanderbilt Saturday Afternoon
The Georgia Bulldogs will try to get to 5-0 on Saturday.
Washington Commanders vs. Indianapolis Colts: Four Stats to Know
The Washington Commanders will look to get back to .500 overall when they face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in London
Willi Orbán Helps Hungary Secure First Nations League Win
Milos Kerkez’s maiden international goal and a resolute defensive masterclass led by Willi Orbán silenced Georgia’s stars, revitalizing the Magyars’ promotion hopes with a crucial clean sheet.
Newcastle Have A Generational Talent In Sean Steur
The Dutch prodigy combines Ajax-bred technicality with remarkable poise, offering Matthias Jaissle a press-resistant engine capable of anchoring the Magpies’ ambitious new era for years to come.
Jalon Daniels ‘Will not be Scared’ in First Buccaneers Start
When the Buccaneers take on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is confident that undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will not be afraid when he makes his first-career start.
Ryan Field’s debut delivers a major moment for Northwestern football
The Wildcats opened their long-awaited new home Friday night with a charged atmosphere, an announced sellout crowd and the type of performance David Braun believes can propel the program forward.
Stanford's Caroline Birkel Hasn't Allowed a Goal This Season
With Birkel back in net, the Cardinal have looked more like themselves
Dodgers World Series Hero Klein Makes Final NLDS Roster Push
Reliever Will Klein battles back from right elbow surgery to secure a last-minute spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ postseason bullpen this year.
NASCAR Drivers Shocked By Keselowski-RFK Split
Brad Keselowski's sudden split from his namesake NASCAR Cup Series organization not only left fans shocked; it left drivers and people within the sport shocked.
Detroit Pistons’ Bickerstaff On Duren: ‘That’s Our Guy’
Now that Jalen Duren is signed long-term, the Pistons can prepare for their first pre-season contest on Oct. 5 against the Phoenix Suns
Jazz Should Consider Trading for Mavericks Center
Upgrading the frontcourt could turn Utah into a legitimate Western Conference threat by swapping Jusuf Nurkić for Daniel Gafford’s elite rim protection and high-efficiency vertical spacing.
Dodgers' Skubal Must Take Advantage of Braves Struggles vs. LHP
Tarik Skubal brings a dominant postseason pedigree to Game 1, eyeing a historic three-peat for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Grizzlies Enter Camp in Better Health After Injury-Ravaged Season
Tuomas Iisalo says the Memphis Grizzlies are in a much better health position entering camp after losing 564 games to injury and illness last season.
Grizzlies Enter Camp in Better Health After Injury-Ravaged Season
Tuomas Iisalo says the Memphis Grizzlies are in a much better health position entering camp after losing 564 games to injury and illness last season.
Grizzlies Face Roster Crunch With Three Cuts Needed Before Season
The Memphis Grizzlies have 18 players on standard contracts and need to trade or waive three before the regular season begins.
Florida Receives Good News, Bad News Ahead of Missouri Game
Injuries sideline star receiver Vernell Brown III, but a depleted Missouri defense offers a lifeline for Aaron Philo's Florida Gators.
No. 3 Spartans Dominate Exhibition: The Eric Nilson Show
Eric Nilson’s four-point explosion and Joshua Ravensbergen’s poised debut fueled a surgical offensive display as the Spartans dismantled Boston College to signal their pursuit of another title.
What Are Reasonable Expectations for Aday Mara?
Aday Mara is an exciting name for many Oklahoma City Thunder fans, and a limited role this season shouldn't put a damper on that.
Kings’ Sabonis Sent to Raptors in 4-Team Trade Idea
A blockbuster proposal ships the three-time All-Star north to anchor Toronto’s frontcourt, landing Sacramento a massive haul of veteran defensive depth and promising future draft capital.
Alabama, Keelon Russell Given Strong Prediction vs Mississippi State
The Alabama Crimson Tide and quarterback Keelon Russell have been given a nice prediction before the game against Mississippi State.
Will May Make the Brewers NLDS Roster?
The Milwaukee Brewers evaluate rotation depth to combat a surging San Diego Padres lineup.
Top Three Questions the Astros Must Answer During the Offseason
With the season over and Joe Espada's future uncertain, the Astros face a pitching staff in need of help and a handful of young players that might see more playing time in 2027.
Tulane Women’s Cross Country Continues Campaign at Nicholls
The Green Wave women's cross country are looking at their final slate ahead of the outdoor championships.
Packers HC': Bucs' Daniels 'A Very Talented Player'
With Baker Mayfield sidelined, rookie Jalon Daniels faces a high-stakes first start. Matt LaFleur warns that the undrafted dual-threat weapon possesses the tools to shock his team.
Ohtani Cleared Physically for Dodgers Postseason Opener
Despite late-season injury scares, Shohei Ohtani returns to the lineup fully healthy, providing a massive offensive boost as the Los Angeles Dodgers begin the postseason.
Notre Dame Has One Weakness That North Carolina Can Exploit
The North Carolina Tar Heels have one area that they can exploit against Notre Dame this weekend.
Steelers Should Trade For AFC North WR To Bolster Offense
The Pittsburgh Steelers could benefit from adding a rival wide receiver from the AFC North.
Celtic Fans Will Love What Jurgen Klopp Just Said
Celtic fans will love what Germany national team manager, Jurgen Klopp, has said.
Devin Vassell Reveals Key to Spurs' Continued Winning Mindset
The San Antonio Spurs are playing an unselfish brand of basketball, and no one demonstrates that better than Devin Vassell.
Health department issues warning after testing finds unexpected opioid in tablet marketed as kratom
The St. Louis County Health Department is warning you to check the labels of products you buy, after lab testing found a synthetic opioid in a tablet marketed as a kratom product.
Chiefs’ hot start boosts business at KC-area bars and restaurants
Bars and restaurants in the Kansas City area say a hot start to the Chiefs season is packing tables and increasing profits.
NBA Shooting Coach Would ‘Love’ To Help Kings’ Simmons
Renowned trainer Lethal Shooter offers to overhaul Ben Simmons’ broken mechanics, promising to rebuild the veteran forward’s jumper from scratch to unlock Sacramento’s full offensive potential.
Walt Weiss Provides Outlook of Atlanta Braves' NLDS Rotation
Weiss said Chris Sale's next start date is undecided after making a relief appearance on Thursday.
Seahawks Make Major Lineup Move Involving Jadarian Price vs. Chargers
The Seahawks' offense is going to look a little different on Sunday.
Florida Put on Upset alert Before Playing No 25 Mizzou
Riding high after toppling Ole Miss, the Gators must now survive a hostile SEC road test against a motivated Tigers squad eager to derail Florida’s playoff momentum.
Iowa Football: Betting Prediction For Ohio State Game
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz shares his betting picks for the Iowa-Ohio State game, including spread and total.
Texas A&M’s Holmon Wiggins Gamble Is Already Under Heavy Pressure
Texas A&M’s Holmon Wiggins Gamble Is Already Under Heavy Pressure
Food safety finds a place among ‘kitchen-table’ political issues
The summer was marred by a foodborne outbreak that sickened scores of people, turning the safety of the U.S. food supply into a topic of national conversation and a political cause.
3 Biggest Questions Facing Pirates Entering Critical Offseason
Here are the three biggest questions facing the Pittsburgh Pirates entering a critical offseason.
Former UCF F Keyshawn Hall Granted TRO, Gains Eligibility
A New York court ruling clears the path for the dynamic "Big Guard" to join Rick Pitino at St. John’s, bolstering the Red Storm’s offensive arsenal.
3 Biggest Questions Facing Phillies Entering Crucial Offseason
Here are the three biggest questions facing the Philadelphia Phillies entering a critical offseason.
Nets' Projected Starting Five Ranked No. 26 in NBA
The Brooklyn Nets made some significant changes this offseason, as the front office looks to accelerate the rebuilding process. How will these new pieces gel together?
Rams Place Terrance Ferguson on IR, Make Multiple Roster Moves
The Los Angeles Rams have now placed tight end Terrance Ferguson on IR, knocking him out for four games.
Bucs LB Trotter Full Participant at Practice, Playing Week 4
With Josiah Trotter coming back, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do get a boost on the defensive side of the football. But, with multiple starters sidelined, it will take a full team effort to pick up a victory.
Why Reds Should Re-Sign Tyler Stephenson
The 30-year-old catcher was a solid piece in the Reds' lineup this year, hitting .241 and knocking in 54 RBI.
Brewers Learn Padres Game One Starter in NLDS
The San Diego Padres tap the veteran southpaw to exploit the Milwaukee Brewers' struggles against left-handed pitching.
LIA 2026 Entertainment & Content, Cultural Catalyst; Sports; Production & Post, Music Video and Non-Traditional Winners Announced
ANOTHER ROUND OF WINNERS HITS THE TABLE Another round of Winners & Finalists is revealed from Las Vegas, with four
State legislators discuss Pennsylvania’s business needs during event in Schuylkill
Pennsylvania’s manufacturing businesses are being hampered by federal tariffs, high energy costs, excessive state regulations and a shortage of skilled laborers, state legislators said Friday during a roundtable discussion hosted by a…
Know the Foe: Charlotte
Memphis returns to the gridiron on Saturday for its first conference matchup of the season against Charlotte. The game was originally scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. CT start, but on Thursday, it was announced the game would be moved to 10 a.m. CT due to a threat of inclement weather Saturday afternoon.
P.J. Washington Could Channel Mavs Legend with Bench Move
Coming off a down year, Washington wants to return to the playoff basketball that has defined his time thus far with the Dallas Mavericks.
Preview: Seminoles Looking for First ACC Win vs. Virginia
According to Florida State coach Mike Norvell. his team had a good week of practice and preparation for their game on Saturday vs Virginia. The Seminoles have 14 conference losses over the last two season, and are looking for their first ACC win this season against the Cavaliers.
Dennis Schroder 'Really Happy' to Be on Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets acquired Dennis Schroder from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Studying Science in an Anti-Scientific Time
This Chronicle Review Deep Cut was first published in 2025. By Julianne Werlin Thanks for reading The Chronicle Review! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe The last two decades have not been kind to science studies. Already bruised and battered by the “science wars” of the 1990s, by the 2000s sociologists of science — who had long argued that science had to be understood in its human context — were encountering the funhouse-mirror version of their own views in right-wing critiques of climate scientists. It was enough to give some prominent scholars pause. “Was I wrong to participate in the invention of this field known as science studies?” asked Bruno Latour, the most famous sociologist of science in the world, in 2003. “Should we apologize for having been wrong all along? Or should we rather bring the sword of criticism to criticism itself and do a bit of soul-searching here: What were we really after when we were so intent on showing the social construction of scientific facts?” In response, Latour proposed a change of method and attitude. Science studies, now chastened and contrite, would no longer seek to strip facts of their authority, but to enrich and enhance them. What this meant in practice was never fully clear. But his diagnosis of problems resonated, even if his solutions did not. Latour’s exercise in public hand-wringing signaled a shift in mood. By 2016, with the first election of Donald Trump, the idea that skepticism of science was a right-wing position, not a left-wing one, had become a commonplace, discussed eagerly in The New York Times. For liberals, vaccine denial during the Covid era and Trump’s second-term attacks on the funding of scientific research, covered extensively in these pages, added a new urgency to the defense of science on both practical and principled grounds. There was little appetite for a sociology or philosophy of science that emphasized the messiness and missteps of the scientific process rather than its integrity and triumphs. The distinguished historian of science Peter Dear’s new book, The World as We Know It: From Natural Philosophy to Modern Science (Princeton University Press, 2025), which seeks to tell the story of 18th- and 19th-century science for a general public, may seem comfortably remote from these bitter contests. In its 16 short chapters, Dear draws swift, sure sketches of major discoveries from Newton to Einstein, ably guiding the reader through debates on stellar nebulae, animal taxonomy, atomic chemistry, evolution, and other flashpoints in the history of science. But though a work of history, Dear’s book must still negotiate our polarized present. In a blurb on its back cover, the historian of biology Lynn K. Nyhart alludes to the “present moment, when scientific knowledge is being swamped by misinformation and its institutions are under siege.” Dear himself, in his conclusion, refers to the “yard signs” and “bumper stickers” that proclaim “Science Is Real.” One antidote to both anti-science propaganda and to reductive slogans in science’s defense is a robust history and philosophy of science: exactly what Dear’s scholarship has long offered. But his new book illustrates how difficult such work has become. Dear, an emeritus professor of history at Cornell University, is best known as a creative and philosophically minded historian of the Scientific Revolution. His edited volume The Literary Structure of Scientific Argument (1991) analyzed the rhetoric of Galileo’s thought experiments to brilliant effect. Discipline and Experience: The Mathematical Way in the Scientific Revolution (1995) was a major contribution to the analysis of scientific experiments in early modern Europe and beyond, while Revolutionizing the Sciences: European Knowledge in Transition, 1500-1700 (2001), now in its third edition, remains one of the best overviews of the profound epistemological upheavals of 16th- and 17th-century science. But Dear has also ventured into later periods. Nearly two decades ago, in The Intelligibility of Nature: How Science Makes Sense of the World (2006), he turned to the 18th and 19th centuries to sketch a history and theory of scientific knowledge. Aimed at a generalist audience, Dear’s simple prose belied serious philosophical ambitions. Science, Dear argued, has two aspects: “natural philosophy,” the quest to understand the true nature of the universe, and “instrumentality,” the applied skills and technologies that allow us to manipulate the world for human advantage. Both strands are ancient, but the innovation of the phenomenon we call “science” was to yoke them together. As Francis Bacon wrote, “Human knowledge and human power meet in one; for where the cause is not known, the effect cannot be produced,” an insight typically abridged to “knowledge is power.” Or, in Bertrand Russell’s characteristically blunt phrase, science has two functions, “1. to enable us to know things, and 2., to enable us to do things.” So far, so conventional. But Dear took issue with this familiar story in one respect. Bacon’s formula implied that theory and practice could be fused in a single method. In fact, Dear argued, the quest to understand nature and the desire to manipulate it were coupled only loosely. They could come together, but they could also pull apart. Focusing on natural philosophy, the “knowing” half of the scientific circle, he used a series of case studies from cosmology, taxonomy, chemistry, electromagnetism, and quantum theory to show how theories changed over time, in dialogue with practice, but never reducible to it. Take the case of matter, the basic substrate of the physical world. In the 18th and 19th centuries, scientists not only disagreed about what it was, but also about how well it could be known. In 1789, the chemist Antoine Lavoisier dismissed speculation about the atomic composition of chemicals as “discussions entirely of a metaphysical nature,” as he sought to orient chemistry away from philosophical abstraction and toward laboratory results. But in the 19th century, atoms returned with a vengeance in the atomic chemistry of John Dalton, who wanted to explain the underlying structure of nature. It was not just that Dalton and Lavoisier had a different set of experimental results, or even a different theory, Dear showed. What counted as an explanation had changed. In arguing that scientific theories depended on their intelligibility to human beings with complex arrays of beliefs and commitments, Dear was in sympathy with science studies. Key figures such as the sociologist Steven Shapin emphasized the importance of psychological mechanisms like trust in the formation and acceptance of scientific ideas. But in focusing on the scientific pursuit of knowledge, not its politics or economics, Dear resisted the more cynical perspective of some of his colleagues. The Intelligibility of Nature strikes a very different note than Shapin’s collection of a few years later, Never Pure: Historical Studies of Science as If It Was Produced by People With Bodies, Situated in Time, Space, Culture, and Society, and Struggling for Credibility and Authority (2010), to name just one example. Walking a very fine line, Dear depicted science as driven at once by complex social dynamics and by the intellectual power of real discoveries. It was a testament not only to his own acumen but also to the vitality of the field that he was able to do so. Nearly two decades later, The World as We Know It returns to the questions broached in The Intelligibility of Nature. Like Dear’s earlier study, it begins with the Newtonian cosmos and ends with debates between Einstein and Bohr on quantum physics. Beyond its terminal figures, many of the same characters appear in both studies, including the naturalists John Ray and the Comte de Buffon; the chemists Étienne François Geoffroy, Antoine Lavoisier, and John Dalton; as well as Charles Darwin and Michael Faraday, among others. Its subject is nearly identical: As in The Intelligibility of Nature, The World as We Know It considers natural philosophy as opposed to instrumentality, here defined as the “desire to create a picture of what the world is really like — the world as God knows it — rather than simply having instrumental or operational control over it.” The two books also overlap in insights — and sometimes even in language. The reader who has learned in The Intelligibility of Nature that Buffon’s method of classifying animals “reflected his belief in the importance of the senses and empiricism in learning about nature (a doctrine associated with Newton and the philosopher John Locke)” will experience a sense of déjà vu on reading, in The World as We Know It, that the classification “reflects Buffon’s commitment to the epistemological stance of Newton and his philosophical underlaborer John Locke, who stressed the role of the senses in creating natural knowledge.” Later in the passage, we read that, “because of its stress on understanding the ways of life of animals in their environments, Buffon’s approach could almost be labeled (anachronistically) as ‘ecological.’” And again, “an anachronistic way of putting it would be to say that Buffon recommends an ecological mode of understanding.” Likewise, in The Intelligibility of Nature we read of Dalton that he was initially drawn to meteorology, and that: He did a bit of experimental work on these things, especially having to do with the water-holding capacity of gases, but his real interest lay in understanding what, at an underlying natural-philosophical level, was really going on physically.” Whereas, in The World as We Know It: He did experimental work on these things, especially concerning the water-holding capacity of gases — although not at a very refined level quantitatively — but he was continually trying to develop a theoretical conception of what was happening physically. The final full chapter of each book closes on the same resigned note. Intelligibility: These days, most serious work on the natural philosophical underpinnings and implications of quantum mechanics is performed not by physicists but by philosophers of science. Among scientific practitioners themselves, Bohr’s attempt to use instrumentality as sufficient grounds for a respectable science has met with a high degree of success. And again, in The World as We Know It: Bohr’s and Einstein’s concerns are now questions that are mostly discussed by philosophers of science rather than by physicists themselves. The marginalization of these sorts of questions amounts to the demise of natural philosophy, at least in physics, in the 20th century. Quantum mechanics “works,” and that’s good enough for most scientists who encounter it. Examples could be multiplied. When handling the same subject matter, some echoes are inevitable. Scholars should not feel that because they have written “Isaac Newton died in 1727” in one book, in the next they must describe him as perishing, expiring, or meeting his maker. But the repetitions of language and arguments (not to mention six reproduced images) threaded throughout The World as We Know It are more extensive than that. They should have been caught by Princeton University Press or its reviewers, and revised. Because the two books have so much in common, it is easy to see where they diverge. The World as We Know It is a less theoretical work than its predecessor. The sociology of knowledge that organized The Intelligibility of Nature has been reduced in scale and folded into readings and examples. The taut interplay between history and theory, which gave the earlier study so much interest, is there, but it is subtle. In the earlier book, the case studies demonstrated theoretical claims about the character and development of science. In the later work, each narrative of discovery is an end in itself. Insights emerge from the history, but they do not control the organization of the study. With the theory muted, it can be hard to understand the logic uniting Dear’s sprawling history of more than two centuries of scientific knowledge. The 16 brisk chapters cover an enormous amount of material. But the closer the volume edges to comprehensiveness, the more obvious the missing elements become. A chapter on “Institutions and Pedagogy,” describing the birth of the research university, illustrates the problem. Inserted roughly halfway through the book, the unnumbered chapter is designed as an “entr’acte,” in acknowledgement that it does not fit the study’s organization around scientific discoveries. Yet as Dear is well aware, no general history of the development of modern science can bracket its 19th-century institutionalization and professionalization. It was the 19th-century university, after all, that gave us the “scientist,” a term coined by the Cambridge philosopher William Whewell. Dear’s history of scientific discoveries implies a wider social and institutional history, but it remains largely subterranean, only occasionally extruded under the pressure of the narrative. It must be said that the balance is not all on the side of the earlier study. There are some advantages to the more historical, less theoretical organization of The World as We Know It. Dear’s accounts of paradigm shifts are remarkably lucid, no small accomplishment given that they span fields and centuries. He makes excellent use of the wealth of new scholarship on Darwin and his influences, to which he has himself contributed. It is satisfying to see puzzle pieces from Buffon’s natural history, Georges Cuvier’s animal taxonomy, Thomas Robert Malthus’s demography, and Charles Lyell’s geology recombined seamlessly in the Darwinian jigsaw. Likewise, Dear’s discussion of stellar nebulae, divided between chapters two and 15, shows vividly how Newton, Kant, Herschel, and Hubble reimagined insights and observations as they sought to discover whether the diffuse light that filtered through early telescopes was a glowing, gaseous substance or discrete but distant stars. Yet despite such pleasures, the book remains a more modest work than The Intelligibility of Nature. Dear has clearly not changed his views about the history of science. But in the two decades that have elapsed, the discipline and the world around it have changed, making it harder to write a sociologically and philosophically ambitious history of science for the general reader. That is a shame, because in the age of Silicon Valley and biotechnology, both the reciprocity and the tensions Dear identified between the epistemological and instrumental ambitions of science are more evident than ever. In recent years, some of the most exciting new books on the history of science in early modernity have focused precisely on this pressure point. Important studies such as Pamela H. Smith’s From Lived Experience to the Written Word (2022), James Poskett’s Horizons: The Global Origins of Modern Science (2022), and Vera Keller’s The Interlopers: Early Stuart Projects and the Undisciplining of Knowledge (2023) all shed new light on how early modern science negotiated the relationship between its instrumental and epistemological ambitions, or in Russell’s phrase, knowing and doing. There is every opportunity for a philosophically informed approach to draw new insights from this wealth of material. Dear, unfortunately, has not done so in The World as We Know It. But for future scholars of the history of science, his body of work over nearly four decades may provide just the model. Julianne Werlin is an associate professor of English at Duke University. Thanks for reading The Chronicle Review! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe
Broncos Blitzes Have Been A Force So Far This Season
The Denver Broncos use a lot of different blitz packages, and sometimes secondary members are the key.
Carolina Panthers Release Injury Report Ahead of Week 4
The Carolina Panthers have released their injury report ahead of the Week 4 showdown with the Detroit Lions.
Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Strongly Praises Newcomer Kelly Oubre Jr.
Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle praised new small forward Kelly Oubre Jr.
Tigers: Don’t Expect Big Free Agency Moves
Detroit shifts away from the big-spending Dombrowski era, prioritizing homegrown talent and supplemental signings over blockbuster contracts to bolster their young core and address lingering roster gaps.
Jaren Jackson Jr. Knows What Comes After a Jazz Breakthrough
Memphis star Jaren Jackson Jr. warns a rising Utah core that sustained success demands an even-keeled temperament as the pressure of expectations replaces the freedom of rebuilding.
Thunder Must Replace Pressure, Not Just Production
Oklahoma City’s new-look depth must replicate the internal accountability that fueled last season’s success, ensuring competition—not just talent—drives the roster toward a championship standard.