Table of Contents

Preface Introduction I. Formal Aspects of Method A. Exploring the Characteristics of a Naturally Occurring Process 1. Aristotle: The Embryology of the Chick 2. William Beaumont: The Process of Digestion as Chemistry B. Deciding between Rival Hypotheses 3. Robert Norman: The Discovery of Dip and the Field Concept 4. Setphen Hales: The Circulation of Sap in Plants 5. Konrad Lorenz: The Conditions of Imprinting C. Finding the Form of a Law Inductively 6. Galileo: The Law of Descent 7. Robert Boyle: The Measurement of the Spring of the Air D. The Use of Models to Simulate otherwise Unresearchable Processes 8. Theodoric of Freibourg: The Causes of the Rainbow E. Exploiting an Accident 9. Louis Pasteur: The Preparation of Artificial Vaccines 10. Ernest Rutherford: The Artificial Transmutation of the Elements F. Null Results 11. A. A. Michelson and E. W. Morley: The Impossibility of Detecting the Motion of the Earth II. Developing the Content of a Theory A. Finding the Hidden Mechanism of a Known Effect 12. F. Jacob and E. Wollman: The Direct Transfer of Genetic Material 13. J. J. Gibson: The Mechanism of Perception B. Existence Proofs 14. A. L. Lavoisier: The Proof of the Oxygen Hypothesis 15. Humphry Davy: The Electrolytic Isolation of New Elements 16. J. J. Thomson: The Discovery of the Electron C. The Decomposition of an Apparently Simple Phenomenon 17. Isaac Newton: The Nature of Colours D. The Demonstration of Underlying Unity within Apparent Variety 18. Michael Faraday: The Identity of All Forms of Electricity III. Technique A. Accuracy and Care in Manipulation 19. J. J. Berzelius: The Perfection of Chemical Measurement B. The Power and Versatility of Apparatus 20. Otto Stern: The Wave Aspect of Matter and the Third Quantum Number General Bibliography Index