Artistic creation has always reflected the spirit of the moment, and opera has not been an exception. There are several examples of operas that appeared at key moments of the development of science, portraying them. Additionally, there are also operas that emerged after scientific events or the lifetime of the scientists by whom they were…

Bohr's model of the atom is considered to be important by general chemistry textbooks. A shortcoming of this model was that it could not explain the spectra of atoms containing more than one electron. To increase the explanatory power of the model, Sommerfeld hypothesized the existence of elliptical orbits. This study aims to elaborate a framework…

In this interview Roald Hoffmann reveals aspects of his private life, from the great difficulties he experienced during World War II, to his personal beliefs. Hoffmann addresses questions about the meaning of laboratory work, teaching chemistry, representing chemical ideas, his philosophical quandaries, his poetry, and his view of atomic orbitals.…

The philosophy of chemistry has offered new tools that can guide educators in deciding how to balance descriptive and theoretical chemistry. The philosophy of chemistry has positive effects on the way that chemistry is taught and learned and it also leads educators to reach a better understanding of their own scientific discipline.

Addresses pedagogical problems of science in ethics and ethics in science with reference to beginning courses in chemistry and philosophical ethics, citing experiences in attempting to combine the two fields. (Author)

Reviews some efforts in elementary school science made since the early 1960's, including the Elementary Science Study, Science-A Process Approach, and Science Curriculum Improvement Study projects. Suggests scientists from all levels of the educational and scientific community assist the implementation of these programs. (CC)

Current ideas of philosophy of science are applied to issue of descriptive versus theoretical material in introductory chemistry courses, introducing Kuhn's definitions of "exemplars," connecting these to problems with teaching students theories at the abstract level, and arguing that the theoretical/descriptive controversy is about…

Presents an outline, a description, and a methodology for teaching a course in the history and philosophy of science to high school students. (Author/SA)

The increased emphasis on theory in undergraduate/introductory chemistry courses suggests a need for beginning students to understand philosophic aspects of scientific theory. Discusses alternative viewpoints on theory development and how misapprehensions about this can influence student creativity; argues for formal introduction to theory…

Discusses the relationship of Karl Popper's theories to chemistry, examining scientific statements and verisimilitude (which indicates that newer theories should have a higher degree of truth content compared with older theories). Also provides examples illustrating the use of Agassi's criteria for assessing currently fashionable theories. (JN)

Discusses problems in defining science as a fundamentally distinct endeavor. (SL)

Discusses the philosophy and operation of a chemistry course that emphasizes the impact of chemical science on society and the education of scientifically literate citizens. (MLH)

Discusses the relationship between teaching and research in higher education and how they are sometimes one and the same. Provides a perspective on scientific literacy, thoughts on the role of scientists in talking with the public about science, and the rationale for making a video course about chemistry. (DDR)

The evolution of ideas about the concept of chaos is surveyed. Discussed are chaos in deterministic, dynamic systems; order in dissipative systems; and thermodynamics and irreversibility. Included are logistic and bifurcation maps to illustrate points made in the discussion. (CW)