The purpose of the course is to introduce some relevant guidelines for the development of scientific instruments in the field of the history of ancient and modern physics. Cultural and social contexts in which this discipline has been developed will also be considered. The learning will take place in such a way that the student can acquire at the end of the course operational skills of analysis, cataloguing and study of a good number of historical-scientific apparatus within the physical and astronomical sciences. On the basis of a final essay (agreed with the teacher) specific indications will also be given for the composition of scientific style texts. The course will offer a rich iconography on scientific instruments coming from the most important science museums in the world. During the course bibliographic materials and thematic studies will be suggested. Lesson attendance is definitely recommended.

Why study scientific instruments?

The places of instrumentation and instrumental type.

History of Science and History of scientific instruments, what differences?

The origins of scientific historiography. The art of scientific instrument: collecting.

Scientific instruments and science education: the reflection of Thomas Kuhn.

Science tools to amplify. The instrumental precision is objective? The problem of classification.

Internet and historical-scientific research.

The best historical collection of scientific instruments in the world.

The rise of precision instrument in the antiquity. Main features of the ancient astronomical instruments.

The astrolabe: history, elements of the celestial sphere, typology, construction, description, operations and use.

History of Optics. The “vision” problem and the birth of optical instruments. Lenses and glasses.

The time of Galileo and the birth of the telescope. Genesis, discoveries and scientific instruments in Galileo Galilei.

Experiments at the “Accademia del Cimento”: the  "Saggi di Naturali Esperienze".

The “Horror Vacui” and the History of the Vacuum. Birth and development of Pneumatics until the nineteenth century.

Reflecting and refracting telescopes from Galileo to the nineteenth century: some developments. Origins of the optical microscope, its development in the eighteenth century.

The nineteenth century progress of optical microscope: the improvements carried out by Giovanni Battista Amici.

The electricity in the eighteenth century. Electrophorus, Leyden jars and electrical machines. A paradigmatic scientific instrument:  Coulomb’s torsion balance.

The Volta’s pile and the birth of Electromagnetism. Magnetic effects of electric current: the Leopoldo Nobili’s galvanometer. Developments of the first magneto-electric machines.

No prerequisities

The course, through an integrated vision of the scientific culture with a focus on some technical-instrumental and experimental paths of Physical and Astronomical Sciences, aims to provide the student with a higher critical thinking skills and simultaneously a stronger control of practical  education and epistemic aspects which, even today, continue to be driving the evolution of Science. In particular, the student must be able to apply in full autonomy some operational knowledge acquired during the course and to develop an effective communication skills.  With these educational objectives the student will be able to develop a historical-scientific essay (previously agreed with the teacher) aimed at the study of historical-scientific materials (typically collections of antique scientific instruments, texts and historical treatises on physics or astronomy, manuscript papers, etc.) available in ancient schools, seminaries, academies, archives and libraries in the territory where he lives.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Seminars and guided visits to historical collections of scientific intruments.

Teaching

Lectures through the use of slides in PowerPoint. Discussion of the more relevant historical issues.

Attendance

The attending students are invited to contact the teacher at the end of the course to arrange a short historical research on a particular subject (essay) for the final examination.

Course books

Gerard L. E. Turner, Nineteenth-Century Scientific Instruments, Sotheby Publications, University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles 1983.

Antony Turner, Early Scientific Instruments Europe 1400-1800, Sotheby's Publications, London 1987.

Gerard L. E. Turner (a cura di), Storia delle Scienze. Gli strumenti, Vol. 1, Einaudi 1991.

William R. Shea (a cura di), Storia delle Scienze. Le Scienze Fisiche e Astronomiche, Vol. 2, Einaudi 1992.

Thomas Crump, A brief history of science as seen through the development of scientific instruments, Carrol & Graf Publishers, New York 2001.

Robert Bud, Deborah Warner (editors), Instruments of Science: An Historical Encyclopedia, Garland Publishing, London & New York 1998. 

Assessment

The final exam will be characterized by an oral discussion. The candidate will have to present the contents of the previously agreed essay and answer some questions about the contents of the program carried out during the course. The following criteria and evaluation parameters will be taken into due consideration during the oral examination:

- mastery in presenting in a clear and competent way the topics studied through an appropriate historical-scientific lexicon;

- level of originality and deepening of the historical-scientific topic presented in the essay;

- practical skills in recognizing, evaluating and cataloguing the historical-scientific materials presented in the essay, as well as the ability to use suitable conceptual and bibliographical tools to elaborate pertinent texts with an appropriate scientific style;

- project ability to present the results of the essay;

- level of learning and deepening of the topics developed during the course.

The final evaluation, in a 30-point scale, will be determined according to a scale of judgements articulated in five levels: insufficient, sufficient, discrete, good, excellent.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Guide to the oral exam and also to the preparation of the examination essay, through pre-arranged meetings at the teacher's office or, alternatively, through the use of Skype, phone, email.

Attendance

Non-attending students are invited to contact the teacher after the beginning of the course, in order to take detailed agreements on the program and on the final essay to prepare for examination.

Course books

Gerard L. E. Turner, Nineteenth-Century Scientific Instruments, Sotheby Publications, University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles 1983.

Antony Turner, Early Scientific Instruments Europe 1400-1800, Sotheby's Publications, London 1987.

Gerard L. E. Turner (a cura di), Storia delle Scienze. Gli strumenti, Vol. 1, Einaudi 1991.

William R. Shea (a cura di), Storia delle Scienze. Le Scienze Fisiche e Astronomiche, Vol. 2, Einaudi 1992.

Thomas Crump, A brief history of science as seen through the development of scientific instruments, Carrol & Graf Publishers, New York 2001.

Robert Bud, Deborah Warner (editors), Instruments of Science: An Historical Encyclopedia, Garland Publishing, London & New York 1998. 

Assessment

Final program and essay must be agreed in advance with the teacher. The final exam will be characterized by an oral discussion. The candidate will have to present the contents of the previously agreed essay and answer some questions about the contents of a text assigned by the teacher as a substitute program for the course held in attendance. The following criteria and evaluation parameters will be taken into due consideration during the oral examination:

- mastery in presenting in a clear and competent way the topics studied through an appropriate historical-scientific lexicon;

- level of originality and deepening of the historical-scientific topic presented in the essay;

- practical skills in recognizing, evaluating and cataloguing the historical-scientific materials presented in the essay, as well as the ability to use suitable conceptual and bibliographical tools to elaborate pertinent texts with an appropriate scientific style;

- project ability to present the results of the essay;

- level of learning and deepening of the topics assigned by the teacher as a substitute program for the exam (text).

The final evaluation, in a 30-point scale, will be determined according to a scale of judgements articulated in five levels: insufficient, sufficient, discrete, good, excellent.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

The student may request to take the final exam in English with an alternative bibliography.