Hermann von Helmholtz and the foundations of nineteenth-century science [a two-day-conference (October 1990) on "Hermann von Helmholtz: Scientist and Philosopher", University of Chicago

Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) was a polymath of dazzling intellectual range and energy. Renowned for his co-discovery of the second law of thermodynamics and his invention of the ophthalmoscope, Helmholtz also made many other contributions to physiology, physical theory, philosophy of science and mathematics, and aesthetic thought. During the late nineteenth century, Helmholtz was revered as a scientist-sagemuch like Albert Einstein in this century. David Cahan has assembled an outstanding group of European and North American historians of science and philosophy for this intellectual biography of Helmholtz, the first ever to critically assess both his published and unpublished writings. It represents a significant contribution not only to Helmholtz scholarship but also to the history of nineteenth-century science and philosophy in general. Chronological Listing Of The Principal Events And Publications Of Helmholtz's Life And Career -- Introduction: Helmholtz At The Borders Of Science / David Cahan -- 1. Helmholtz And The German Medical Community / Arleen Tuchman -- 2. Experiment, Quantification, And Discovery: Helmholtz's Early Physiological Researches, 1843-50 / Kathryn M. Olesko And Frederic L. Holmes -- 3. The Eye As Mathematician: Clinical Practice, Instrumentation, And Helmholtz's Construction Of An Empiricist Theory Of Vision / Timothy Lenoir -- 4. Consensus And Controversy: Helmholtz On The Visual Perception Of Space / R. Steven Turner -- 5. Innovation Through Synthesis: Helmholtz And Color Research / Richard L. Kremer -- 6. Sensation Of Tone, Perception Of Sound, And Empiricism: Helmholtz's Physiological Acoustics / Stephan Vogel -- 7. Helmholtz's Ueber Die Erhaltung Der Kraft: The Emergence Of A Theoretical Physicist / Fabio Bevilacqua. Edited By David Cahan. In The Course Of Preparing This Volume The University Of Chicago ... Sponsor[ed] A Two-day Conference (october 1990) On 'hermann Von Helmholtz: Scientist And Philosopher'--p. Xiii. Includes Bibliographical References P. (603-636) And Index. A biography of Hermann von Helmholtz, a 19th-century scientist renowned for the co-discovery of the second law of thermodynamics and his invention of the ophthalmoscope. It relates how von Helmholtz also made contributions to the fields of physiology, philosophy of science and mathematics. A biography of a 19th-century German scientist renowned for the co-discovery of the second law of thermodynamics and his invention of the ophthalmoscope. The volume relates how von Helmholtz also made contributions to the fields of physiology, philosophy of science and aesthetics