279675 Daniel Helsing
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The Literary Construction of the Universe Narratives of Truth, Transcendence, and Triumph in Contemporary Anglo-American Popularizations of Physics and Astronomy Helsing, Daniel 2019 Document Version: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Helsing, D. (2019). The Literary Construction of the Universe: Narratives of Truth, Transcendence, and Triumph in Contemporary Anglo-American Popularizations of Physics and Astronomy. Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University. 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LUND UNIVERSITY PO Box 117 221 00 Lund +46 46-222 00 00 The Literary Construction of the Universe “Science” is a historically variable, connotationally rich, and contested term. No single institution, individual, or group of individuals can claim definitional authority over its meaning. The use of “science” carries weight and credibility in society, at least in many sectors. Yet while “science” is a contested term over which no one can claim definitional authority, science is defined and carried out in practice around the world daily. It is defined in dictionaries and mission statements by scientific organizations, in education guidelines and high school curricula, in media coverage and science fiction novels, and in popular science books. In this dissertation, Daniel Helsing analyzes the construction of the universe, science, and human kind in contemporary mainstream AngloAmerican popularizations of physics and astronomy. He shows that popularizers use literary techniques and rhetorical strategies to construct and explain science, to represent the universe and humankind’s place in the universe, and to evoke aesthetic and emotional responses in their readers. DANIEL HELSING The Literary Construction of the Universe Narratives of Truth, Transcendence, and Triumph in Contemporary Popularizations of Physics and Astronomy 9 Daniel Helsing 789178 CRITICA LITTERARUM LUNDENSIS 952373 Centre for Languages and Literature ISBN 978-91-7895-237-3 CRITICA LITTERARUM LUNDENSIS 18 ISSN 1651-2367 18 The Literary Construction of the Universe “Science” is a historically variable, connotationally rich, and contested term. No single institution, individual, or group of individuals can claim definitional authority over its meaning. The use of “science” carries weight and credibility in society, at least in many sectors. Yet while “science” is a contested term over which no one can claim definitional authority, science is defined and carried out in practice around the world daily. It is defined in dictionaries and mission statements by scientific organizations, in education guidelines and high school curricula, in media coverage and science fiction novels, and in popular science books. In this dissertation, Daniel Helsing analyzes the construction of the universe, science, and human kind in contemporary mainstream AngloAmerican popularizations of physics and astronomy. He shows that popularizers use literary techniques and rhetorical strategies to construct and explain science, to represent the universe and humankind’s place in the universe, and to evoke aesthetic and emotional responses in their readers. DANIEL HELSING The Literary Construction of the Universe Narratives of Truth, Transcendence, and Triumph in Contemporary Popularizations of Physics and Astronomy 9 Daniel Helsing 789178 CRITICA LITTERARUM LUNDENSIS 952373 Centre for Languages and Literature ISBN 978-91-7895-237-3 CRITICA LITTERARUM LUNDENSIS 18 ISSN 1651-2367 18 THE LITERARY CONSTRUCTION OF THE UNIVERSE The Literary Construction of the Universe Narratives of Truth, Transcendence, and Triumph in Contemporary Anglo-American Popularizations of Physics and Astronomy Daniel Helsing Division of Comparative Literature Centre for Languages and Literature CRITICA LITTERARUM LUNDENSIS 18 Cover image: Rembrandt, Faust in His Study, c. 1652 Cover design: Staffan Hellkvist, Media-Tryck © Daniel Helsing, Centre for Languages and Literature ISBN 978-91-7895-237-3 (print) ISBN 978-91-7895-238-0 (pdf) ISSN 1651-2367 Printed in Sweden by Media-Tryck, Lund University Lund 2019 Watched the scientists throw up their hands, conceding “progress will resolve it all.” —Bad Religion, “Faith Alone” (1990) Acronyms AAAS—American Association for the Advancement of Science AIP—American Institute of Physics ASLE—Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment BBC—British Broadcasting Corporation BSA—British Science Association BSLS—British Society for Literature and Science CERN—Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (European Organiza- tion for Nuclear Research) CNN—Cable News Network ERC—European Research Council ID—Intelligent Design LHC—Large Hadron Collider NAS—National Academy of Sciences NASA—National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASEM—National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine NPR—National Public Radio NSB—National Science Board NSF—National Science Foundation PBS—Public Broadcasting Service SLAC—Stanford Linear Accelerator Center SLSA—Society for Literature, Science and the Arts SSK—Sociology of Scientific Knowledge STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics STS—Science and Technology Studies TEUSH—Triumphant Epic of the Universe, Science, and Humankind WCD—Western Culturally Dominant WEIRD—Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic Contents Introduction..................................................................................................13 The Term “Popular Science”............................................................... 18 The Emergence of Western Science and the Challenges of Popularization......................................................... 20 Aim and Research Questions.............................................................. 27 Theory, Method, and Material............................................................. 28 Theoretical Frameworks and Concepts....................................... 28 Selection Criteria, Scope, and Delimitation................................ 36 Previous Research........................................................................47 Outline of the Dissertation.................................................................. 49 1. Science and Popularization: Historical Perspectives........................... 51 “Popular Science” before the “Scientific Revolution”........................ 53 “Science”..................................................................................... 53 From Ancient Greece to Early Modern Europe...........................56 1632–1834: From Natural Philosophy to Science............................... 58 1834–1945: The Consolidation and Professionalization of Science... 63 1945–: The Growth of Science and the Popular Science Boom......... 69 Popular Science and Gender........................................................ 74 2. Romanticism Meets Science: Revolt, Reform, and Appropriation..... 77 Romanticism and the Disenchantment of the World...........................80 Romantic Science: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.............................. 85 Romantic Scientists? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein............................ 88 The Romanticization of Science: Cosmos: A Personal Voyage..........90 3. Notions of “Science”: Contemporary Perspectives and Definitions... 97 Academic Disciplines and Cultural Debates....................................... 98 Pursuing the Essence of Science: Philosophy of Science............98 The Emergence of Constructivism: Science and Technology Studies................................................................... 102 The Two Cultures and the Science Wars...................................104 Routine Definitions........................................................................... 107 Dictionaries................................................................................ 107 Scientific Organizations and Government Agencies................. 110 Public Understanding of Science Surveys................................. 111 Science Education......................................................................112 Intelligent Design versus Science in Court............................... 116 The Meaning of Science.................................................................... 119 Approaching Consensus?.......................................................... 119 Mundane and Transcendent Meaning........................................122 An Absence of Values?............................................................. 125 4.The “Science” in Popular Science: Boundary Work, Idealization, and Scientism..................................................................