How Scientists Explain Disease

Author by : Paul Thagard
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2018-06-05
Publisher by : Princeton University Press

ISBN :

Description : How do scientists develop new explanations of disease? How do those explanations become accepted as true? And how does medical diagnosis change when physicians are confronted with new scientific evidence? These are some of the questions that Paul Thagard pursues in this pathbreaking book that develops a new, integrative approach to the study of science. Ranging through the history of medicine, from the Hippocratic theory of humors to modern explanations of Mad Cow Disease and chronic fatigue syndrome, Thagard analyzes the development and acceptance of scientific ideas. At the heart of the book is a case study of the recent dramatic shift in medical understanding of peptic ulcers, most of which are now believed to be caused by infection by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. When this explanation was first proposed in 1983, it was greeted with intense skepticism by most medical experts, but it became widely accepted over the next decade. Thagard discusses the psychological processes of discovery and acceptance, the physical processes involving instruments and experiments, and the social processes of collaboration, communication, and consensus that brought about this transformation in medical knowledge. How Scientists Explain Disease challenges both traditional philosophy of science, which has viewed science as largely a matter of logic, and contemporary science studies that view science as largely a matter of power. Drawing on theories of distributed computing and artificial intelligence, Paul Thagard develops new models that make sense of scientific change as a complex system of cognitive, social, and physical interactions. This is a book that will appeal to all readers with an interest in the development of science and medicine. It combines an engaging style, significant research, and a powerfully original argument....

Author by : Robin Koontz
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2014-08-01
Publisher by : Cherry Lake

ISBN :

Description : This book discusses the science behind pandemics and their effects. The chapters examine the deadliest pandemics in history, explain how these diseases spread so quickly, and show how scientists are working to prevent and contain future disease outbreaks. Diagrams, charts, and photos provide opportunities to evaluate and understand the scientific concepts involved....

Author by : Barry DeCoster
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2006
Publisher by :

ISBN :

Description : ...

Author by : John Ellis
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2016-07-09
Publisher by : Springer

ISBN :

Description : Evolution is just a theory, isn’t it? What is a scientific theory anyway? Don’t scientists prove things? What is the difference between a fact, a hypothesis and a theory in science? How does scientific thinking differ from religious thinking? Why are most leading scientists atheists? Are science and religion compatible? Why are there so many different religious beliefs but only one science? What is the evidence for evolution? Why does evolution occur? If you are interested in any of these questions and have some knowledge of biology, this book is for you....

Author by : Robert A. Aronowitz
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 1998
Publisher by : Cambridge University Press

ISBN :

Description : This 1998 book contains historical essays about how diseases change their meaning....

Author by : R. John Ellis
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2010-01-18
Publisher by : Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN :

Description : Evolution is just a theory, isn’t it? What is a scientific theory anyway? Don’t scientists prove things? What is the difference between a fact, a hypothesis and a theory in science? How does scientific thinking differ from religious thinking? Why are most leading scientists atheists? Are science and religion compatible? Why are there so many different religious beliefs but only one science? What is the evidence for evolution? Why does evolution occur? If you are interested in any of these questions and have some knowledge of biology, this book is for you....

Author by : Paul Thagard
Languange Used : en
Release Date : 2010-02-14
Publisher by : Princeton University Press

ISBN :

Description : Defending the superiority of evidence-based reasoning over religious faith and philosophical thought experiments, Thagard argues that minds are brains and that reality is what science can discover. Brains come to know reality through a combination of perception and reasoning. Just as important, our brains evaluate aspects of reality through emotions that can produce both good and bad decisions. Our cognitive and emotional abilities allow us to understand reality, decide effectively, act morally, and pursue the vital needs of love, work, and play. Wisdom consists of knowing what matters, why it matters, and how to achieve it."--Jacket....