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Week in Politics: Hegseth's livestream backlash; Greece ambassador Guilfoyle scandal
Bipartisan blowback on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plans to livestream a military execution, plus a scandal involving Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US Ambassador to Greece.
In a heartbeat: What mammograms can reveal about your health beyond breast cancer
As the first and best line of defense when it comes to early detection of breast cancer, mammograms boast a sensitivity of about 87%, according to the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. But what if their utility to women’s health didn’t end there? Bethani Hahn, section chief of breast imaging at
Panthers Named Landing Spot For Intriguing Eagles CB
The Carolina Panthers need to address some issues on defense this season.
Hegseth wants to livestream a firing squad execution. What we know about the rare move
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement Thursday that the firing squad death of the Fort Hood mass shooter will be livestreamed was swiftly met with bipartisan criticism and questions over how the public execution will be carried out.
Giants-Commanders matchup: Can the Giants contain QB Jayden Daniels?
Can the NY Giants defense keep the momentum going and shut down the Washington Commanders offense?
Bears legend Mike Ditka, a star on the field and the sideline, dies at 86
His 1985 team featured one of the game's most dominant defenses ever
A new defense tech initiative will serve Baton Rouge startups, small businesses
Baton Rouge has been included in a new federally backed defense technology initiative aimed at helping Louisiana startups and small businesses compete for military and commercial work. The U.S. Small Business Administration this week awarded $1 million to Precision Platform Solutions, the legal entity behind Monroe-based Maven Scouts, to launch the Gulf South Defense Tech […]
Event aims to connect small business with government, defense contracts
The government and defense contracting forum in Rochester offers small businesses connections with buyers like Lockheed Martin and Micron Technology.
Falcons Playoff Projections Show A Difficult Wild Card Matchup
The Falcons could host the 49ers in the Wild Card round. While the matchup looks tough, Atlanta's prime-time success and top run defense offer hope.
The Pivotal Change that Fixed the Browns Defense
After a disastrous opening blowout, Mike Rutenberg scrapped his zone-heavy, Week 1 scheme to get the Cleveland Browns defense back to playing their brand of football. They're 3-0 since the switch.
War Department’s $350 Million Quantum Push
The Department of War announced approximately $350 million in quantum computing initiatives, including a conditional $150 million loan to PsiQuantum, alongside broader efforts to modernize American defense research and strengthen domestic technological leadership.
Islanders 4 (EN), Blackhawks 1: Horvat, Stanley(?!) stay hot
The Islanders dispatched the Blackhawks, as well they should, to even their record at 2-2 on the young season. The 4-1 final turned in the second period when the Isles got two goals in quick succession, converting some counterattacks against a loose Blackhawks team defense. Bo Horvat had two goals, a power play one to […]
The Wall Street Veteran Trying to Solve the Pentagon’s Missile Problem
In his first interview on the job, Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, a private-equity billionaire, defended his unusual approach.
Hegseth wants Fort Hood shooter’s execution by firing squad to be public
“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday about the firing squad execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan.
Pete Hegseth vows to make first firing squad execution in decades ‘public’
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed in an interview this week that the execution of the man who killed 13 people in a mass shooting at Fort Hood in 2009 would be “public.”
Florida State's defensive keys vs Louisville
Florida State's defense will face a tough test against Louisville's offense. Here's five keys for them to slow them down.
Jakob Poeltl’s Health May Define the Toronto Raptors Season
The Toronto Raptors need Jakob Poeltl healthy. His interior defense, physicality and rim protection could determine how far this team goes this season.
Department of War Announces $350 Million in Quantum Computing Initiati
The Office of the Undersecretary of War for Research and Engineering announced new initiatives and programmatic updates totaling approximately $350 million to strengthen U.S. leadership in quantum
Department of War Executes White House Strategy for a New Golden Age o
The War Department announced a series of initiatives to advance President Donald J. Trump's vision for a New Golden Age of American science.
Europe’s Far Right Challenges Rising Defense Spending and Support for Ukraine
Far-right parties in Europe are increasingly using voters’ concerns over the cost of living to challenge higher defense budgets.
Green Bay Packers add linebacker ahead of Week 5 game vs. Chicago Bears
The Green Bay Packers have been looking to find a way to get some additional depth at the linebacker position this season. With the defense running a 3-4 scheme, having an excellent linebacking core is critical for success. However, they saw Edgerrin Cooper suffer a torn Achilles, depleting their depth significantly. The front office was [...]
This Key Stat Also Helps Explain Denver’s Struggles
The Denver Broncos defense can't get off the field, and it's been hurting them badly.
Illinois Ranks 118th Against the Pass Before Facing Michigan State
Illinois brings the nation's 118th pass defense to Spartan Stadium on Saturday afternoon. #GoGreen
Jazz Defense Wavers in Preseason Loss
Early defensive sparks from new frontcourt faces faded under a barrage of fouls and missed shots, leaving coach Will Hardy with difficult roster questions before the regular season.
Packers defense gets ready to take on Bears
The Green Bay Packers renew their rivalry with the Bears Sunday at Lambeau Field. By necessity, the Packers defense will have a different look.
Defense Secretary Hegseth addresses crew of USS Lincoln before deployment ends
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General Dynamics names next CEO, as Novakovic becomes exec chairman
Phebe Novakovic, General Dynamics' longtime CEO, will transition to executive chairman on Jan. 1, 2027, as President Danny Deep becomes the Fortune 500 aerospace and defense contractor's next leader, the Reston-based company announced Wednesday.
Wolfspeed secures $1.5 billion conditional loan commitment from US defense department
Chipmaker Wolfspeed said on Wednesday it has received a conditional loan commitment for up to $1.5 billion from the US Department of Defense to expand domestic production of silicon carbide materials and power devices, sending its shares surging 27% in extended trading.
$150M in Federal Funds for Beluga-Healy Electrical Intertie
The US Department of Energy awarded $150 million in defense readiness funds for an electrical intertie between Beluga and Healy.
Chris Finch Has High Hopes for Timberwolves’ Defense This Season
How good can the Minnesota Timberwolves defense be?
Rubio Stresses Need for U.S. Security Work With Greece on Migration and Terrorism
Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Greece for spending more on defense, while saying it needs to address “mass migration.”
This Week in Politics: Military Moves
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, formerly Secretary of Defense, delivered his second annual “State of the Force Address,” which outlined the administration’s strategic goals and initiatives for the United States military. Addressing hundreds of military officers and service members at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Hegseth began by...
Giants hit the jackpot with their No. 5 pick
Arvell Reese called his game against Arizona “decent.” Nine solo tackles, three passes defensed, a tackle for loss and his […]
Dan Campbell’s Defense Is Now the Case Against Him
Dan Campbell built the standard in Detroit, and four games into 2026 it is turning on him. #Lions
In defense of banned books as challenges double from last year
As journalists, it's our job to seek out the truth even when it's uncomfortable. We value diverse perspectives, are open to new ideas and respect intellectual freedom.
Weekly Stat Review: Post Week 4 edition
Offense continues putting on a show while the defense figures out how to overcome significant injuries.
Small Business Administration head visits Howell defense contractor
The administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler, was in Livingston County Tuesday to check out a government contractor. As Russ McNamara reports, the stop was well-received.
Penn State offense trying to regroup vs. struggling USC defense
Penn State is facing a USC defense that gives up a ton of points, but they still won’t be an easy opponent.
Measuring Stick for the Washington Run Defense Against Iowa
Two years ago, Iowa rushed for 220 yards on the Washington run defense, averaging nearly six yards per carry inside Kinnick Stadium. The Huskies lost 40-16 in what was just the fourth Big Ten game of Jedd Fisch’s tenure in Seattle. The loss demonstrated the physicality and stylistic gap that Washington aimed to close as …
Central Florida students ‘scout’ out coveted nuclear science merit bad
With the help of dedicated Airmen from the Air Force Technical Applications Center here, 89 inspired scouts from across Central Florida traveled to Patrick SFB Sept. 19 to earn the coveted Nuclear
Cincinnati Bengals and 3 Other Fantasy Football Week 5 Must-Start Defenses
A few defenses that all fantasy managers should be looking to start this week.
Longhorns and Sooners bring dominant defense, sputtering offense to Cotton Bowl
Texas quarterback Arch Manning has been inconsistent and Oklahoma's John Mateer has had a rash of turnovers.
Week 5 fantasy defense rankings: Top D/ST streamers, starts
Led by star LB T.J. Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the NFL's best at forcing turnovers. That bodes well for them in Week 5 vs. the Colts.
New Clinical Guideline Helps Keep Women 'Optimized for the Fight'
The Department of Veterans Affairs and War Department have jointly released a clinical practice guideline to help clinicians provide improved care for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause.
Analysis | The midterm battle for power in the states
Republicans are on defense in governor and state legislative races.
3 Options For Fixing The Detroit Lions’ Ailing Secondary
The Detroit Lions' ailing secondary is the proverbial thorn in the Lions’ paw. The Lions' defense currently ranks as the worst in the NFL. It’s still early enough that these problems can be fixed. What options are available to Detroit, and will they be sufficient to fix the problems?
Evan Williams praises Jonathan Gannon after Packers’ dramatic win
The Green Bay Packers leaned on their defense to preserve a 17-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, with Evan Williams delivering a pair of crucial plays during the closing moments. The safety’s performance on Tampa Bay’s last drive also gave him another reason to admire the work of defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. [...]
Archbishop Golka to Celebrate 40 Days for Life Mass at Marisol Health
At the heart of the Church’s defense of life is a simple but powerful response: prayer. This October, Catholics across the Archdiocese of Denver are invited to come together in that prayer as Archbishop James R. Golka celebrates a special 40 Days for Life Mass at Marisol Health.The Mass will be celebrated on Friday, October 23, at 2:00 p.m. in the garden at Marisol Health, 2894 Olive Street in Denver. Together, the faithful will give thanks to God for the precious gift of life and pray for mothe
Democrats could win majority of governor’s offices for first time in 16 years
As the political prospects for Republicans worsen ahead of November’s midterm elections, the GOP is increasingly playing defense over its yearslong grip on state governments. That’s particularly true for gubernatorial elections, as Democrats could win a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010. Currently, Republicans boast a 26-24 gubernatorial advantage over Democrats. This […]
Brandon Figueroa Breaks Hearts and Wins Belts
Brandon Figueroa makes the first defense of his featherweight world title on Oct. 17 in Las Vegas against former champion Tomoki Kameda.
Former Lions Veteran Edge Rusher Released By Ben Johnson’s Bears
Things aren’t going swimmingly right now for the Detroit Lions, who recently dropped their Sunday evening contest against the Carolina Panthers to drop to 2-2 through the first four games of the campaign.While their offense is clicking, their defense has been woeful, and more closely resembles the defensive issues experienced by the 0-16 2008 edition […] The post Former Lions Veteran Edge Rusher Released By Ben Johnson’s Bears appeared first on HEAVY.
Oregon's Defense in Question Entering Touch Game Against UCLA
The Ducks' defense needs to be ready on Saturday.
CREO Brings AI, Health, National Defense Into Focus for Cybersecurity Awareness Month
The Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity Research, Education and Outreach is marking Cybersecurity Awareness Month with a speaker series that runs through Oct. 29.
Three Things UNC Fans Must Know About Pittsburgh
Facing a ranked opponent, the North Carolina Tar Heels must neutralize a high-scoring sophomore quarterback and survive a battle-tested defense.
Drew Petzing Failed the Lions When They Needed Him Most
The Lions’ defense was awful, but Detroit’s offense deserves plenty of blame, too. Missed opportunities, costly penalties and questionable play-calling turned a winnable game into a brutal loss.
Sen. Tillis says his vote for Hegseth was 'biggest regret of my career' in new book
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says in a new book that his deciding vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January 2025 is the “biggest regret of my career” and that he also “should’ve stopped” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from becoming Health and Human Services secretary in the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Packers place former Georgia Bulldogs DL on injured reserve
The Green Bay Packers have suffered several key injuries on defense. Green Bay will be without former Georgia DL Warren Brinson for extended time
Arkansas defense needs help, but it can still help itself
The defense is not the problem at Arkansas, but it can do better
Former Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt joins Fox News
Karoline Leavitt, the tenacious former Trump White House press secretary, is joining Fox News as a contributor. The network announced Monday that Leavitt, 29, known for her rapid-fire defense of
How former Cyclones performed in Week 4 of the NFL
Ten former Cyclones made appearances in Week 4 of the NFL and played a combined 543 snaps on offense, defense and special teams. Breece Hall – New York Jets Hall did not play against the Chicago Bears due to a quad injury sustained during the Lions game in week three. Jake Hummel – Houston Texans Hummel […]
Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs Decision Makes Absolutely No Sense
Jahmyr Gibbs received just 15 carries against the NFL’s worst run defense as the Detroit Lions fell 32-26 to the Carolina Panthers.
Dan Campbell: I'm not talking about firing Kelvin Sheppard
The Lions defense was unimpressive in the first three weeks of the 2026 season and things didn't get any better in Sunday night's loss to the Panthers.
Is the 2026 Detroit Lions defense fixable?
The 2026 Detroit Lions’ defense is in infamous territory. Is there any hope of fixing it?
UTSA ousts Rice 16-14 in defensive-driven battle
UTSA defense steps up in Houston, avoids upset in the “trap game from hell.”
Disappointing night for Jahmyr Gibbs
Facing the NFL's last-ranked run defense, Jahmyr Gibbs managed just 46 yards on 15 carries in a Week 4 loss to the Panthers.
Darius Slay Roasts Detroit Lions Defense on X
Former Detroit Lions CB Darius Slay took to X to deliver a brutal assessment of Detroit's defense during Sunday night's game against Carolina.
Texas A&M Still Outside Coaches Poll After Dominant Arkansas Win
Texas A&M crushes Arkansas 34-7 behind a dominant rushing attack and strong defense, but the Aggies remain outside the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.
Taylor Farms and Mexico’s Health Ministry Now Make the Same Cyclospora Argument. The Produce Industry’s Own Association, FDA and CDC Rejected It in September. Here Is a Specific Request to Eight People Before the Industry Meets in Orlando.
I spent four hours Sunday morning taking the deposition of an expert retained by the defense in the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak of November 2024 – the one
UCF's Defense Struggles to Close in 27-17 Loss
A dominant start crumbled as a relentless Houston ground game capitalized on short fields and a vanishing pass rush, leaving the Knights searching for answers before facing powerhouse ranked opponents.
Minkah Fitzpatrick ends long interception drought for New York Jets
The New York Jets defense had not had interception since the regular-season finale in 2024 prior to Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
FSU’s Pass Rush Turns In Dominant Performance Against Virginia
FSU’s struggling pass rush finally erupted against Virginia, producing 10 sacks as Tony White’s defense overwhelmed Beau Pribula.
Where should the Tigers play Kevin McGonigle?
The rookie’s bat got most of the attention, but he showed off good defense and positional flexibility as well.
High school sports roundup for Oct. 2-3, 2026
Friday, Oct. 2 Football Edmonds-Woodway defeated Lynnwood 48-6 Nathan Schlack scored three touchdowns and the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors defense held the Lynnwood Royals to 37 yards of total offense as the […]
XCEPTIONAL ATHLETE: Bonduel’s Carter Moesch
Bonduel, Wis (WFRV) – This week Local 5 Sports highlights our Xceptional Athlete Carter Moesch, a four year varsity football player for Bonduel High School. Moesch plays both offense and defense for the Bears, serving as a running back and a linebacker. He excels in both positions, but if he had to choose one, his […]
SDSU posts complete road win at Illinois State
NORMAL, Ill. (SDSU) —Josh Holst threw a pair of touchdown passes and the South Dakota State defense forced three turnovers as the second-ranked Jackrabbits came away with a 31-14 victory over Illinois State Saturday night at Hancock Stadium. SDSU improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Redbirds, who entered […]
Kansas Defense Records First Shutout Since 2008
Kansas Defense Records First Shutout Since 2008
Florida State Plays Inspired in Dominant Win Over Virginia
Florida State scored 38 unanswered points in a dominant victory over the Virginia Cavaliers, and Ashton Daniels and the Seminoles defense were a juggernaut on both sides of the ball as the Seminoles earned their third win of the season and evened their record in ACC play at 1-1.
TST Best Bets: October 3, 2026
Mississippi State gets a chance to show how far it has come Saturday, welcoming No. 7 Alabama to Starkville for a matchup of unbeaten SEC teams. Kamario Taylor has helped turn the No. 16 Bulldogs into an early surprise, but keeping up with the Crimson Tide will be their biggest test yet.Over in the Big Ten, No. 14 Iowa returns home after its dramatic win at Michigan to face No. 6 Ohio State. The Hawkeyes will lean on their defense again, this time trying to slow down Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Sm
Penn State facing glaring issues after back-to-back losses
EVANSTON, Ill. (WHTM) — It is next to impossible to pin Penn State’s loss to Northwestern on just one thing, but here are three glaring issues following the Nittany Lions’ back-to-back losses this season. The run game only produced 48 yards, the run defense gave up 418, and head coach Matt Campbell says his program […]
This protective enzyme could help stop fatty liver disease from getting worse
Scientists have identified an enzyme that may act as a natural defense against the worsening of fatty liver disease, which affects an estimated 100 million Americans. The enzyme, called UBE2N, helps liver cells clear away damaged mitochondria and break down fat, potentially preventing the inflammation, scarring, and cell damage associated with the more dangerous condition MASH.
NY AG appointment to Cornell rape case ‘reeks of politics’: Defense attorney
Defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh voiced concerns on “Elizabeth Vargas Tonight” that politics could taint the investigation.
NY AG appointment to Cornell rape case ‘reeks of politics’: Defense attorney
Defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh voiced concerns on “Elizabeth Vargas Tonight” that politics could taint the investigation.
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.
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.
Letters to Sports: USC's defense, sportsmanship called into question
Readers of the Los Angeles Times Sports section give their thoughts on USC's loss to Oregon, and the horrific late hit, the Dodgers playoff chances and more.
Chargers Star Khalil Mack Emerges as Top Trade Candidate
Khalil Mack and the Los Angeles Chargers entered the 2026 season with Super Bowl aspirations. While the defense has been solid, the offense has not held up its end of the bargain.The Chargers sit at 0-3 and are gearing up for a road game against the Seattle Seahawks. This follows a loss in Buffalo in […] The post Chargers Star Khalil Mack Emerges as Top Trade Candidate appeared first on HEAVY.
Iceland to broach defense cooperation as Rubio visits next week
Iceland plans to discuss closer cooperation with the U.S., including on defense, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for a visit next week. That’s after the U.S. struck a
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.
Shawn Horcoff Reveals Red Wings’ Reaction to Simon Edvinsson Leaving
Shawn Horcoff says Simon Edvinsson remains a Red Wings priority but admits Detroit did not expect the defenseman to return to Sweden.
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. 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