And with that, we return to History…and a return to Kuhn and his paradigms of revolution. Kuhn was pivotal in changing how the history of science was viewed and introduced the idea of paradigm shifts for explaining movements in scientific thought. I have a vague recollection that someone published a paper noting that Kuhn managed to use the word “paradigm” in 27 different ways. I remain ever amused that as far as my shelves are concerned Kuhn sits under Feyerabend and his more anarchic approach. Here also sits Koestler and his mighty tome “The Sleepwalkers” on the history of astronomy, another book I photocopied chunks out of.

I miss this stuff. At one stage I was on track for honours and further postgrad studies in the historiography of science, and have long had a fascination with the roles of science and technology and how it is contextualised within society. What is accepted and what isn’t and more importantly why particular views or directions are accepted. It’s not necessarily about the right or wrong path, or adherence to a rigid enforcement of scientific method; it’s also about social mores and politics and personalities.