Grundorf Timeline #2

By JGrundorf

  • Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996) Entry #4

    The older model of science viewed itself as everchanging without acknowledging paradigms. Kuhn posited that all scientific fields, and by proxy their paradigms, experience a crisis (Kuhn's accomplishment) that will irrevocably cause the paradigm to be altered in a manner almost unrecognizable. The term "Crisis" usually has a negative connotation applied to it, but I view crises as a process of renewal. True scrutiny requires a commonly held belief to be razed for a new idea to take root.

  • Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996) Entry #1

    Thomas Kuhn revolutionized how science is viewed in 1962 in the "Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by introducing the concept of paradigms. Paradigms, for a time, were met with contention due to the fact that it was believed by the scientific community that the Popperian Model was the basis for science. That is to say, that all theories are open for debate, and nothing is taken for granted. Paradigms hold certain "truths" for science, so that theories can be strengthened upon the foundation.

  • Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996) Entry #2

    In 1962, Kuhn posited a perspective on different standards by which scientific fields of their time cannot be judged by the same standards of pre-scientific revolutions. Kuhn coined this term incommensurability. Isaac Newton's ideas on the laws of physics were revolutionary, yet without modern instrumentation and ideas, a few of Newton's claims fell a bit short. Through no fault of his own, but rather the time period, we can view the science of the time through a lens not of our own time period.

  • Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996) Entry #3

    Kuhn introduced the idea of scientific revolutions in 1962. The thought process behind it is this: when a paradigm faces a "crisis" due to constant questioning of a theory or methodology, the theory must be able to hold up to scrutiny lest it be burned to the ground. And like a phoenix rising from the ashes, a new paradigm is born. The importance of this concept helps to reinforce that a scientific theory or principle must be able to adapt or it will be discarded.