Popular science and public opinion in eighteenth-century France

This book analyses the forms of popular science, the social and economic status of those who practiced it and the audience, and the settings for scientific dissemination and appropriation. -- . In This Book, Michael R. Lynn Analyses The Popularisation Of Science In Enlightenment France. He Examines The Content Of Popular Science, The Methods Of Dissemination, The Status Of The Popularisers And The Audience, And The Settings For Dissemination And Appropriation. Lynn Introduces Individuals Like Jean-antoine Nollet, Who Made A Career Out Of Applying Electric Shocks To People, And Perrin, Who Used His Talented Dog To Lure Customers To His Physics Show. He Also Examines Scientifically Oriented Clubs Like Jean-françois Pilâtre De Rozier’s Musée De Monsieur Which Provided Locations For People Interested In Science. Phenomena Such As Divining Rods, Used To Find Water And Ores As Well As To Solve Crimes; And Balloons, The Most Spectacular Of All Types Of Popular Science, Demonstrate How People Made Use Of Their New Knowledge. Lynn’s Study Provides A Clearer Understanding Of The Role Played By Science In The Republic Of Letters And The Participation Of The General Population In The Formation Of Public Opinion On Scientific Matters. Now available in paperback, Michael R. Lynn's book analyses the popularisation of science in Enlightenment France. He examines the content of popular science, the methods of dissemination, the status of the popularisers and the audience, and the settings for dissemination and appropriation. Lynn introduces individuals like Jean-Antoine Nollet, who made a career out of applying electric shocks to people, and Perrin, who used his talented dog to lure customers to his physics show. He also examines scientifically oriented clubs like Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier's Musée de Monsieur which provid Front matter Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Introduction The practice of popularization The audience, economics, and geography of popular science Institutions of popular science Divining rods and public opinion Balloons and mass science Conclusion Select bibliography Index