Life Sciences

On March 24 1995, one of the most outstanding representatives of post-war European scholarship, Dr Joseph Needham, passed away at the remarkable age of ninety-four. His loss will be felt in very wide circles, reaching far beyond the professional domains of sinology, and the history of Chinese science and technology, for there are few works with an impact comparable to his monumental Science and Civilisation in China (Cambridge 1954, seventeen large volumes published, and still being continued) and the many minor studies that were produced as a spin-off of that large project, of which he was both the founding father and driving force.

When the Science-as-Culture forum was first created it was envisaged that it would be related to this web site where various writings could appear, such as:
articles under consideration for publication in Science as Culture
articles from back issues of the journal
other longer pieces from whatever source which are too long for the forum or of interest to its subscribers

Daniel I. Arnon and colleagues discovered photosynthetic phosphorylation.

The International Society for History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB) brings together scholars from diverse disciplines, including the life sciences as well as history, philosophy, and social studies of science. ISHPSSB summer meetings are known for innovative, transdisciplinary sessions, and for fostering informal, co-operative exchanges and on-going collaborations

For more than two hundred years the Royal Institution of Great Britain has been at the centre of scientific research and the popularisation of science in England.

The very first ancient documents about plants (Babylonian souces, the Old Testament, HOMER's works) that came down on us regarded plants mainly under the aspects of utility and medicinal use. The interest of the old Greek philosophers focused more on the comparison of animal and man on one hand and plants on the other. EMPEDOCLES FROM AGRIENT, for example, dwelt on the question whether plants have a soul while ARISTOTLE ranks them in the middle between the inanimate and the animate. THEOPHRASTUS wrote two works of a general nature on plants: The Natural History of Plants and About the Reasons of Vegetable Growth . Both had a formative influence on the botanical research of following scientists.

When Aristophanes' parodied fifth-century Athenian intellectuals, he envisioned a single wise-man teaching linguistics, poetry, math, astronomy, and ethics. The distinction beween science and other subjects only gradually took shape

The Energy and Semiconductor Research (EHF) Laboratory constitutes one of the main focus points of research at the University of Oldenburg in the Institute of Physics. In the EHF Laboratory research is performed on both fundamental semiconductor physics as well as topics in applied hysics in the area of renewable energies.

The Newcomen Society is the world's oldest learned society devoted to the study of the history of engineering and technology. The Society is based in London and is concerned with all branches of engineering: civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, aeronautical, marine, chemical and manufacturing.