著者

Mai SUGIMOTO

出版者

The History of Science Society of Japan

雑誌

Historia Scientiarum. Second Series: International Journal of the History of Science Society of Japan (ISSN:02854821)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.31, no.3, pp.208-223, 2022-03-31 (Released:2023-02-01)

---

This paper describes the introduction of general education within higher education as part of the US-led education reform after World War II (WWII) and analyzes how it led to the justification of the history of science education. After a brief description of the state of research and education pertaining to the history of science in Japan before WWII, this paper reviews the process of the introduction of general education as part of Japan's education reform under the US occupation policy. In this process, the “case history” method proposed by James B. Conant was frequently referred to, and Sidney J. French, a US researcher who had discussed general education at the History of Science Society, was invited to Japan as a lecturer for the Institute for Educational Leadership. Further, Bun'ichi Tamamushi, one of the founders of the History of Science Society of Japan (HSSJ), visited the US and played a key role in implementing the history of science subject in general education, and people involved in the HSSJ took advantage of this situation to promote this discipline. These events legitimized the history of science education in universities.

著者

Daisuke KONAGAYA

出版者

The History of Science Society of Japan

雑誌

Historia Scientiarum. Second Series: International Journal of the History of Science Society of Japan (ISSN:02854821)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.29, no.3, pp.280-299, 2020-03-31 (Released:2022-03-25)

---

Werner K. Heisenberg toured the United States from March to August 1929 and Japan, together with Paul A. M. Dirac, from August to September 1929. In Japan, they gave several impressive lectures on quantum theory, mainly at Tokyo Imperial University and the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Tokyo. Though it is well-known that their lectures "stimulated the minds of young Japanese physicists" at that time, this paper treats Heisenberg and Dirac's visit to Kyoto and their Kyoto lectures. The Kyoto lectures are mostly overlooked in the history of science because the event was smaller than Tokyo's, and it was likely that the Kyoto lectures were simply selected from several lectures held in Tokyo. However, young physicists, including Hideki Yukawa and Yoichi Uchida, attended the event in Kyoto, and they had the opportunity to consider each important theoretical topic covered in the lectures. This paper presents the details of their visit to Kyoto together with the itinerary of their travel in Japan; it focuses particularly on Heisenberg's Kyoto lecture and its stimulation of future generations of Japanese scientists.

著者

Jimmy AAMES

出版者

The History of Science Society of Japan

雑誌

Historia Scientiarum. Second Series: International Journal of the History of Science Society of Japan (ISSN:02854821)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.31, no.1, pp.72-86, 2021-08-31 (Released:2023-02-01)

---

This paper traces the development of Newton's theory of “fits,” designed primarily as an explanation of the phenomenon of periodic rings created by light, and developed in Bk. II of his Opticks. We can recognize three distinct stages in the development of Newton's explanation of this phenomenon: the aethereal vibration hypothesis, the corpuscular vibration hypothesis, and the theory of fits. My aim is to show what led Newton through these successive explanations, and why he ultimately settled on the theory of fits in the Opticks. Alan Shapiro has argued that Newton avoided committing himself to the corpuscular vibration hypothesis in the Opticks because of his methodological precept of abstaining from hypotheses that lack sufficient demonstration. In addition, I highlight Newton's observations concerning the partial reflection of light and his experiments involving thick glass plates, which may provide a further reason why he avoided committing himself to the corpuscular vibration hypothesis.