Cognitive Practices in Experimental Science: An Exploratory Study of Faraday's Research on Gold

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal grows from the PI's recent discovery that important elements of Faraday's 1856 investigation into gold -- a large set of microscope slides and other laboratory materials -- still exist in a well-preserved state at the Royal Institution in London. The combination of laboratory materials with the more traditional written documentation from the scientist's notebooks presents an important opportunity for cognitive scientists to understand even more thoroughly the work of Faraday -- and scientific work more generally. The proposal requests SGER support for travel to England so that the PI can undertake certain technical work related to the slides and other laboratory materials before undertaking a more detailed scholarly examination of the entire set of experiments by Faraday. Primarily, Tweney seeks assistance to enable him to photographically reproduce and catalogue the microscope slides. He also wants to examine and study the chemical materials and processes that Faraday used, some of which survives as well. From this preliminary work, a more complete exploration of Faraday's gold research can be undertaken by the P.I. in the United States.