The benefit of hindsight in observational science: Retrospective seismological observations

2012 ◽  
Vol 345-348 ◽  
pp. 212-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Curtis ◽  
Yannik Behr ◽  
Elizabeth Entwistle ◽  
Erica Galetti ◽  
John Townend ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Observational Science

Law and Experiment in Psychology

1992 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt Lewin
Keyword(s):  
Major Task ◽  
Copernican Revolution ◽  
Concrete Objects ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Specific Discipline ◽  
Observational Science ◽  
Mathematics And Physics ◽  
The Way

The Copernican revolution with which Kant transformed the question of whether knowledge is possible into the query as to how knowledge is possible, constitutes one stage in the development of epistemology from a speculative to an observational science — i.e., one that proceeds from the investigation of concrete, existent objects rather than from a small number of presupposed concepts. This path, leading from speculation to examination of the concrete objects of research — for epistemology, to the investigation of the various individual sciences — is long and arduous, and even now it has been traversed only a small part of the way. Although epistemological research has for a long time had some relation to mathematics and physics, and a more concrete exploration of biology and the humanities has recently been launched as well, we undoubtedly still stand at the very beginning of this enterprise. One major task for the epistemological inquiry into a specific discipline is bound up with tracing the course of development of that science — in particular, the radical shifts and readjustments in a science that promise to furnish the epistemologist with valuable information. Seen from this angle, psychology also currently deserves the special attention of epistemology.

scholarly journals Disruptive photon technologies for chemical dynamics

2014 ◽  
Vol 171 ◽  
pp. 525-543
Author(s):  
Henry N. Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Processes ◽  
Chemical Dynamics ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
Diffractive Imaging ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Picosecond Pulses ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Observational Science ◽  
Atomic Time

A perspective of new and emerging technologies for chemical dynamics is given, with an emphasis on the use of X-ray sources that generate sub-picosecond pulses. The two classes of experimental techniques used for time-resolved measurements of chemical processes and their effects are spectroscopy and imaging, where the latter includes microscopy, diffractive imaging, and crystallography. X-Ray free-electron lasers have brought new impetus to the field, allowing not only temporal and spatial resolution at atomic time and length scales, but also bringing a new way to overcome limitations due to perturbation of the sample by the X-ray probe by out-running radiation damage. Associated instrumentation and methods are being developed to take advantage of the new opportunities of these sources. Once these methods of observational science have been mastered it should be possible to use the new tools to directly control those chemical processes.

scholarly journals Strong gravitational lensing: relativity in action

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S261) ◽  
pp. 249-259
Author(s):  
Joachim Wambsganss
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Lensing ◽  
Extrasolar Planets ◽  
Hubble Constant ◽  
Stellar Atmospheres ◽  
Gravitational Lens ◽  
Cosmological Distance Scale ◽  
Galaxy Halos ◽  
Guided Tour ◽  
Observational Science

AbstractDeflection of light by gravity was predicted by Einstein's Theory of General Relativity and observationally confirmed in 1919. In the following decades, various aspects of the gravitational lens effect were explored theoretically, among them measuring the Hubble constant from multiple images of a background source, making use of the magnifying effect as a gravitational telescope, or the possibility of a “relativistic eclipse” as a perfect test of GR. Only in 1979, gravitational lensing became an observational science when the first doubly imaged quasar was discovered. Today lensing is a booming part of astrophysics and cosmology. A whole suite of strong lensing phenomena have been investigated: multiple quasars, giant luminous arcs, Einstein rings, quasar microlensing, and galactic microlensing. The most recent lensing application is the detection of extrasolar planets. Lensing has contributed significant new results in areas as different as the cosmological distance scale, mass determination of galaxy clusters, physics of quasars, searches for dark matter in galaxy halos, structure of the Milky Way, stellar atmospheres and exoplanets. A guided tour through some of these applications will illustrate how gravitational lensing has established itself as a very useful universal astrophysical tool.

scholarly journals How, precisely, can astronomy be of benefit to anyone?

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S260) ◽  
pp. 381-392
Author(s):  
Bernard J. T. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Industrial Process ◽  
Biological Imaging ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Astronomy Education ◽  
Know How ◽  
Medical And Biological Imaging ◽  
Industrial Process Control ◽  
Observational Science

AbstractAstronomy as an observational science is technology driven both from the point of view of data acquisition and of data processing and visualisation. Astronomy exploits a very wide base of technologies which are developed, enhanced and extended by users. Consequently, astronomy can return new and enhanced technologies to areas well outside of astronomy itself. My own hi-tech company, Astraguard, a video imaging company, is a small but significant example of that technology return. Astronomy can provide both know-how and people for a diverse variety of areas: security, industrial process control, medical and biological imaging, petrochemicals, databases, and the financial industries to name but a few. It is unfortunate that those who teach astronomy are generally not aware of these possibilities.In this lecture I hope to take a first step towards showing what is possible. I hope to convince the reader that astronomy education, at all levels, can play a significant role in career development outside of astronomy and in higher education in developing countries.

scholarly journals Gravitational Lensing

2001 ◽  
Vol 182 ◽  
pp. 123-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Wambsganss
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Lensing ◽  
Main Part ◽  
Propagation Effects ◽  
Observational Science

AbstractIn the roughly 20 years of its existence as an observational science, gravitational lensing has established itself as a valuable tool in many astrophysical fields. In the introduction of this review we briefly present the basics of lensing. Then it is shown that the two propagation effects, lensing and scintillation, have a number of properties in common. In the main part various lensing phenomena are discussed with emphasis on recent observations.

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