Johann Lambert’s Scientific Tool Kit. Maarten Bullynck To cite this version: Maarten Bullynck. Johann Lambert’s Scientific Tool Kit.: Exemplified by the Measurement of Humidity. Science in Context, Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2010, 23 (1), pp.65-89. 10.1017/S026988970999024X. halshs-00663305 HAL Id: halshs-00663305 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00663305 Submitted on 26 Jan 2012 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Maarten Bullynck Université Paris 8 Vincennes à St.-Denis Département d'Histoire / Mathématiques & Histoire des Sciences 2 rue de la Liberté, 93526 Saint-Denis Adress: Krijgslaan 57, 9000 Gent, Belgium Email:
[email protected] Telephone: 0032-484 634495 Title of the paper: J.H. Lambert’s Scientific Tool Kit. (Exemplified by Lambert’s Measurement of Humidity, 1769–1772) Abstract: J.H. Lambert (1728-1777) developed a very detailed theory of science and experiment. Using Lambert's hygrometric studies, this article provides an introduction into Lambert's theory and its practice. Of special interest in Lambert's theory are a well-founded theory on the emergence and definition of concepts and his neat neat eye for heuristics that should ultimately lead up to a mathematization of physical phenomena.