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Date of publication Sep 21, 2005 Category: Article

The rotten, the disembowelled woman, the skinned man. Body images from Eighteenth century Florentine wax modelling

by Francesco Paolo de Ceglia

Florence's La Specola Museum stirs up strong emotions. Among its collections, the valuable anatomical wax models created between the end of 17th and the beginning of 18th century stand out owing to their marvellous and provocative nature. The aim of this essay is to analyse the communication models epitomised by some of these works by means of historical semiotics, to nourish the widespread, but often underestimated assumption that science and the means used to spread it have always been influenced by intellectual suppositions and constantly interact with contemporary culture.

Volume 4Issue 032005
Date of publication Mar 21, 2005 Category: Commentary

Music, communication, technology

by Leonello Tarabella

Volume 4Issue 012005
Date of publication Mar 21, 2005 Category: Article

Historians of science and the "Sobel Effect"

by Paola Govoni

In 1995, journalist Dava Sobel's Longitude caused an earthquake in the history of science community. The present article analyses how only recently historians of science have fully realized the novelty the book represented. In the meantime, the international success of popular books by journalists on the history of science has become a well-known phenomenon. The author suggests that the huge publishing success of Sobel's book the "Sobel Effect" has provoked three main kinds of reaction among historians: rejection, detachment, and imitation. Which of the three strategies is the best, for both public and authors?

Volume 4Issue 012005
Date of publication Mar 21, 2005 Category: Commentary

Die Harmonie der Welt of Paul Hindemith

by Gianni Zanarini

Volume 4Issue 012005
Date of publication Mar 21, 2005 Category: Commentary

Vincenzio and Galileo Galilei's epistemic imprinting

by Pietro Greco

Volume 4Issue 012005
Date of publication Mar 21, 2004 Category: Article

Popularised science communication modes in Italian popular science magazines (1788-2002)

by Enrica Battifoglia

Analysis of popular science magazines can offer a significant contribution to the study of the history of science popularisation and the relation between the language of science and everyday language in Italy. This paper reconstructs the history of science popularisation through analysis of popular science magazines published in Italy from 1788 to date. The material examined consists of 80 popular science magazines covering various scientific disciplines, reporting current issues and targeted at a non-specialist public. Such material had never been gathered and organised in a systematic way before. The analysis did not take into account academic scientific journals which generally cover a single discipline and use technical language or high-quality science popularisation journals which also use specialist language. The element that all 80 magazines have in common is the use of non-technical, easily understandable language for a public that does not possess any specialist scientific knowledge. The analysis of the material offers an overview of the scientific disciplines that have been covered more extensively in popular science magazines from the end of the 18th century to date. In addition, it shows how priorities in coverage changed in different historical periods and how a variety of science communication modes have been established over time.

Volume 3Issue 012004
Date of publication Dec 21, 2003 Category: Commentary

Mathematical correspondences

by Angelo Guerraggio

Volume 2Issue 042003
Date of publication Sep 21, 2003 Category: Article

Characters in search of Majorana

by Francesco Scarpa

Through the years, Majorana's life - and his mysterious disappearance in particular - inspired manifold representations. The wide range of links to science, philosophy and literature have allowed deep reflections crossing the borders of genre: from theatre to fiction, from essays to novels and cartoons. Reconstructing the character of Majorana by thinking back to all the interpretations he has been given allows us to place him in a wider and more organic context, which goes beyond the functional aspects of fiction. In this wider prospective, we can clearly see why the still unresolved Majorana case has aroused the interest of so many diverse authors.

Volume 2Issue 032003
Date of publication Mar 21, 2003 Category: Letter

In mountain

by Gianni Battimelli

Volume 2Issue 012003
Date of publication Mar 21, 2003 Category: Commentary

Osmosis between science and music during the scientific revolution

by Silvana Barbacci

Volume 2Issue 012003

Total: 74 records

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