Understanding the Language of Science

From astronomy to zoology, the practice of science proceeds from scientific ways of thinking. These patterns of thought, such as defining and classifying, hypothesizing and experimenting, form the building blocks of all scientific endeavor. Understanding how they work is therefore an essential foundation for everyone involved in scientific study or teaching, from elementary school students to classroom teachers and professional scientists. In this book, Steven Darian examines the language of science in order to analyze the patterns of thinking that underlie scientific endeavor. He draws examples from university science textbooks in a variety of disciplines, since these offer a common, even canonical, language for scientific expression. Darian identifies and focuses in depth on nine patterns--defining, classifying, using figurative language, determining cause and effect, hypothesizing, experimenting, visualizing, quantifying, and comparing--and shows how they interact in practice. He also traces how these thought modes developed historically from Pythagoras through Newton.

Author: Steven Darian
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 08/01/2003
Pages: 262
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.82lbs
Size: 9.12h x 6.00w x 0.66d
ISBN: 9780292716186

Review Citation(s):
Choice 01/01/2004 pg. 928

About the Author
Steven Darian is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Education at Rutgers University. He has also been a Fulbright Visiting Professor in India (1992), Uzbekistan (1997), and Ukraine (2001).