A History of Technoscience: Erasing the Boundaries between Science and Technology(History and Philosophy of Technoscience)

Are science and technology independent of one another? Is technology dependent upon science, and if so, how is it dependent? Is science dependent upon technology, and if so how is it dependent? Or, are science and technology becoming so interdependent that the line dividing them has become totally erased? This book charts the history of technoscience from the late nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth century and shows how the military–industrial–academic complex and big science combined to create new examples of technoscience in such areas as the nuclear arms race, the space race, the digital age, and the new worlds of nanotechnology and biotechnology.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. Relationships between Science and Technology Terminology Technology as Dependent upon Science Science and Technology as Independent Science as Dependent upon Technology Science and Technology as Interdependent Erasing the Boundaries between Science and Technology Notes Part I: The Roots of Technoscience 2. From Science-Based Industry to Industry-Based Science Chemical-Based Industries Organic Chemical Industries – Synthetic Dyes, Pharmaceuticals and Plastics Heavy Chemical Industries – Alkalis, Acids and Explosives Electrical Industrial Research Laboratories – Electric Lighting Electrical Industrial Research Laboratories – Telephone and Radio Notes 3. Setting the Stage for the Military-Industrial-Academic Complex: World War I The Military Build-Up to World War I World War I Chemical Warfare – Explosives Chemical Warfare – Gas Radio Naval Warfare Aerial Warfare Notes 4. Setting the Stage for Big Science: The Interwar Period Chemical Research and Development Aviation Research and Development Rocket Research and Development Atomic and Nuclear Research Notes 5. The Emergence of the Military-Industrial-Academic Complex and Big Science: World War II Uranium Research The Military-Industrial-Academic Complex Radar and Sonar Chemical and Medical Research Military Computers The Atomic Bomb -- Big Science Notes Part II: The Era of Technoscience 6. The Nuclear Arms Race The H-Bomb Nuclear Reactors High Energy Physics Notes 7. The Space Program The Missile Race The Space Race The Moon Race Astronomy Planetary Science Astrophysics Notes 8. Electronics General Purpose Computers The Transistor The Integrated Circuit Computer Science Notes 9. Material Science Lasers Superconductivity Nanotechnology Notes 10. Biotechnology Genetics The Double Helix The Genetic Code Genetic Engineering The Human Genome Project Notes Epilogue 11. The New World of Technoscience Works Cited

About the Author :
David F. Channell is Professor of Historical Studies and the History of Ideas at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Review :
What is the connection between science and technology? Do technological advances spring from new discoveries in science (the view traditionally held by many), or could it be argued that the opposite occurs—that scientific discoveries depend on advances in technology? Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between: science and technology are inexorably intertwined, belonging to a single discipline we might refer to as “technoscience. The relationship between science and technology is masterfully outlined in this work. Channell (Univ. of Texas, Dallas) surveys the literature for various interpretations of the connection between science and technology, while tracing these connections from the so-called Second Industrial Revolution in the 19th century through the relationship between science and technology during the two world wars, and culminating with a study of technoscience in the latter half of the 20th century as manifested in the fields of electronics, material sciences, and biotechnology. In sum, the book represents an important contribution to the fields of science and technology studies, while proposing new frameworks (and questions) for future historians - T. Timmons, University of Arkansas--Fort Smith, CHOICE Magazine