William Goodwin, Rowan University
Chemical Heritage Foundation, Brown Bag Lunch Talk
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Place: 6th Floor Conference Room, Chemical Heritage Foundation
Information: 215-873-8289 or bbl@chemheritage.org
The Nonclassical Ion Controversy lasted for over 20 years and engaged some of the most influential and well-respected physical organic chemists. The debate was brought to an end without its major participants ever reaching a consensus about its central issue.
This talk will investigate why the debate ended and assess the extent to which the scientific community was acting appropriately in ending it. The talk will also show the importance of local conceptions of significance in understanding the social epistemology of science.
William Goodwin is a philosopher with degrees in chemistry, mathematics and logic, and the methodology of science, all from the University of California at Berkeley. His research interests include the epistemology and methodology of complex, pragmatic sciences, such as organic chemistry and climatology. He regularly teaches a historically oriented introduction to the philosophy of science to science majors at Rowan University.