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SUMMARY:W.B. Carpenter and the wonder of microscopy - Emma Pyle (Departmen
 t of History and Philosophy of Science)
DTSTART:20141117T130000Z
DTEND:20141117T141500Z
UID:TALK54710@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Margaret Carlyle
DESCRIPTION:The development of the distinction between science and literat
 ure took shape during the 19th century. This paper will argue that William
  Carpenter's _The Microscope and its Revelations_\, first published in 185
 6\, straddled that divide. It was a form of literature that 'bridged' a st
 yle of science communication characterized by narrative and aesthetically 
 loaded language of wonder\, and a burgeoning style steeped in passionless 
 and restrained language. I will address where wonder appeared in the text 
 and explore how Carpenter prescribed a method of microscopy that promoted 
 the experience of wonder alongside codes of behaviour encouraged by the ne
 w 'men of science'. This paper will draw on contemporary concerns surround
 ing education and the moral virtues of hard work to demonstrate how\, for 
 Carpenter\, the character of the individual could be trained through micro
 scopy as much as his intellect. I conclude that _The Microscope and its Re
 velations_ presented the experience of wonder as the ultimate reward for t
 he diligent student who sought to understand\, not merely see\, the world 
 through the lens of the microscope.
LOCATION:Seminar Room 2\, Department of History and Philosophy of Science
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