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Kuhn's Birthday
Thomas Kuhn was born in Cincinnati, Ohio -
Kuhn at Harvard
Thomas Kuhn began studying at Harvard, like his father and uncle, in 1940. Here he studied philosophy, mathematics, and physics. After debating what to major in, he decided to go with physics. After graduation, Kuhn decided to work at the Radio Research Laboratory, which was still at Harvard. While at Harvard, Kuhn earned his masters and doctorate degree in physics. -
Interest in Philosophy
In 1961, Kuhn began his career as a professor at the University of California, not teaching physics, but philosophy. While here, with studying and the influence of his colleagues, Kuhn became very interested in philosophy. Kuhn wrote The Structure of Scientific Revolution in 1962. In this, he wrote about the developments of science and introduced paradigms. -
Kuhn's Scientific Revolution Theory
Kuhn developed the theory that science has different phases and it isn't just one constant phase. There are revolutionary phases, that differ from normal science. Kuhn's new idea changed the way people looked at the science, and the way the studied or began a new idea. With this new paradigm shift theory, it gave people a base to start their research off of. "Paradigms define problems and procedures for solving problems that are apart of a single research tradition." -
The End of Career
Kuhn retired from teaching in 1991, after received many awards. He was elected a member of the National Acadamy of Science and the New York Acadamy of Science. He was president of the History of Science Society and was awarded the Sarton Medal. Kuhn passed away in 1996, after suffering from cancer of the throat and bronchial tubes.
