Science is to a large extent dependent on the culture from which it rises,
the progress of technology even more transparently so. This is the thesis
expressed in a series of case studies edited by Hamilton Cravens, Alan Marcus
and David Katzman, all three American historians, in Technical Knowledge in
American Culture (University of Alabama Press, £17.95\$19.95, ISBN
0 8173 0793 1). Their goal is to make the study of science, medicine and
technology “more accessible to scholars trained in the humanities and social
sciences”. Airports, cattle feed and medical practice are among the topics
covered, but the style of the book does demand that scholarly attention.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Humans
Iron Age Britons may have removed the brains of the dead
News

Life
Frozen squirrel scat preserves ancient DNA from hundreds of species
News

Environment
The last-ditch plan to save coral reefs from utter destruction
Features

Earth
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact site stayed hot for millions of years
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the Atlantic suggests the AMOC is weakening
2
Why we should all take quantum physics extremely personally
3
Unpicking endometriosis reveals how it affects more than the pelvis
4
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact site stayed hot for millions of years
5
The last-ditch plan to save coral reefs from utter destruction
6
What really happened when ancient humans migrated out of Africa
7
What is a ‘normal’ memory slowdown, and when should I worry?
8
Does gravity create reality? A shocking path to a theory of everything
9
Earliest use of anaesthetics uncovered in Chinese doctor’s tomb
10
Why your brain needs plenty of “Aha!†moments