Keith Douglas' Web Page

About me Find out who I am and what I do.
My resumé A copy of my resumé and other documentation about my education and work experience for employers and the curious.
Reviews, theses, articles, presentations A collection of papers from my work, categorized and annotated.
Current research projects What I am currently working on, including some non-research material.
Interesting people People professionally "connected" to me in some way.
Interesting organizations Organizations I am "connected" to. (Some rather loosely.)
Intellectual/professional influences Influences on my work, including an organization chart. Here you can also buy many good books on philosophy and other subjects via amazon.com. I have included brief reviews of hundreds of books.
Professional resources Research sources, amazon.com associates programs, etc.
What is the philosophy of computing? A brief introduction to my primary professional interest.
My intellectual heroes A partial list of important people. Limited to the dead.
My educational philosophy As a sometime teacher I've developed one. Includes book resources.

Book Influences: Philosophy of Science - Chemistry

Of Minds and Molecules: New Philosophical Perspectives on Chemistry Bhushan (ed.) One of the first volumes of papers on the new and exciting field of the philosophy of chemistry. I note with interest that one paper tackles a problem I have remarked on and comes to the opposite conclusion I did!
The Periodic Table: Its Story and Significance Scerri This is a book on both the history of the periodic table and philosophical issues related to it. It is much stronger on the former considerations, correcting many textbook myths. Philosophically, it is very weak, only discussing one question in any great detail, viz. the question of whether quantum mechanics explains periodicity. The book is also marred by several typos and at least one (possibly two) bad translations. For a puncturer of myths, Scerri ought to know that "atomos" does not mean indivisible!
The Same and Not The Same Hoffmann A sort of "introduction" or "impressionistic" look at the philosophy of chemistry by a Nobel laureate in that field. Discussed (though not with much detail in many cases) are the social responsibilities of scientists and technology, the ancient question of the one and the many, modes and aspects of explanation, the nature of signs, the process of scientific discovery, the rhetoric of science, what the use of religion is, and much else. The only drawback is the superficiality. Hoffmann also uses philosophers and others somewhat impressionistically - I think he reads too much of himself into Hegel, for example. Those weaknesses aside, this is an stimulating and clear book with many useful illustrations.

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