Instruments of Science; An Historical Encyclopedia, Vol. 2

Provides thousands of quick answers
This authoritative reference covers 325 scientific instruments ranging from antiquity to the present and from the mundane to the most sophisticated. Entries explain how the instruments work, and trace their invention, development, distribution, and use. They consider the cost of instruments, and their effects on society at large. And they are illustrated and provided with bibliographies.

A valuable guide for collectors, dealers, and curators
The Encyclopedia provides an in-depth coverage of traditional instruments, and so will be a valuable guide for collectors, dealers, and curators, who appreciate the beauty and history of these instruments. By its attention to 20th-century devices and disciplines, the Encyclopedia also opens new ground, and so will be particularly valuable to students and scholars of modern science and technology. Reflecting contemporary practice, it examines instruments used for testing and monitoring as well as those used for research, and even considers a number of widely used laboratory organisms (such as drosophila and e. coli) as instruments.

The work of distinguished experts
TheEncyclopedia is published in association with two of the world's leading museums, the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., and the Science Museum in London. The advisory panel includes scholars from the United States, Europe, and Australia, all known for their distinguished careers in museums, universities, and industry. Over 220 authors-including expert scientists, instrument designers, and historians from more than a dozen countries-have brought together information scattered in numerous primary sources and specialized studies written in many languages.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Presents 325 entries by over 220 experts
• Explores a wide range of instruments from antiquity to the present
• The first reference work to examine instrument innovations, applications, and costs
• Text enriched with illustrations and bibliographies
• A name and subject index helps you pinpoint information quickly and easily.

"This fascinating encyclopedia presents 325 historically significant scientific instruments from antiquity to the present. Instruments used for testing and monitoring in addition to those used for research are studied, including laboratory organisms such as E.coli. Each of the signed entries explains how the instrument works and how it is used, as well as tracing its invention, development, and distribution. The instrument's effect on the scientific community and society is also explored. Beautiful illustrations accompany many of the entries. The editors from the Science Museum in London and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History have provided an excellent addition to the history of sciences".--"Outstanding Reference Sources : the 1999 Selection of New Titles", American Libraries, May 1999. Comp. by the Reference Sources Committee, RUSA, ALA.

This authoritative reference covers 325 scientific instruments ranging from antiquity to the present, and from the mundane to the highly sophisticated. Entries explain how they work and trace their invention, development, distribution and use. Fully illustrated and complete with bibliographies, it will be particularly useful to students and scholars of modern science and technology. Reflecting contemporary practice, it examines instruments used for testing and monitoring, as well as those used for research, and even considers a number of widely used laboratory organisms (such as drosophila and e.coli) as instruments.

Booknews

With over 300 entries from the ancient abacus to X-ray diffraction, as represented by a ca. 1900 photo of an X- ray machine as well as the latest research into filmless x- ray systems, this tour of the history of scientific instruments in multiple disciplines provides context and a bibliography for each entry. Newer conceptions of "instrument" include organisms widely used in research: e.g. the mouse, , and . B&w photographs and diagrams showcase more traditional instruments from The Science Museum, London, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Robert Bud holds a doctorate in the History and Sociology of Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and serves as Head of Research (Collections) at the Science Museum in London. His widespread publications on the history of chemistry and biotechnology include Invisible Connections: Instruments, Institutions and Science (l992), and The Uses of Life: A History of Biotechnology (l993).
Deborah Warner holds a M.A. in the History of Sciences from Harvard University, and serves as Curator of Physical Science Collections at the National Museum of American History. Her widespread publications in the history of science and scientific instruments include Alvan Clark & Sons: Artists in Optics (1968; rev. 1996), and The Sky Explored: Celestial Cartography 1500-1800 (1979). She is also founder and editor of Rittenhouse, a quarterly journal of the American instrument enterprise.