Falling for Science: Objects in Mind

331 Pages·2008·3.37 MB·english

by  Sherry Turkle

Falling for Science

Falling for Science
Objects in Mind
edited and with an introduction
by Sherry Turkle
The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England
© 2008 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photo-
copying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without
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Printed and bound in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Cataloging- in-Publication Data
Falling for science : objects in mind / edited and with an introduction
by Sherry Turkle.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-262-20172-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Science—
Study and teaching—United States. 2. Engineering—Study and
teaching—United States. 3. Technology—Study and teaching—
United States.
I. Turkle, Sherry.
Q181.3.F35 2008
500—dc22
2007020843
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Seymour Papert

Contents
x Acknowledgments
3 Sherry Turkle | Introduction: Falling for Science

PART I
MIT Students and Their Objects (1979– 2007)
What Makes A Scientist?

WHAT WE SEE
42 Steven Schwartz | Maps (1982)
45 Thomas P. Hermitt | Prisms (1984)
47 Jennifer Beaudin | Walls (2002)
49 Andrew Sempere | Holga Camera (2004)

WHAT WE SENSE
54 Stephen Intille | Sand Castles (1992)
58 Joanna Berzowska | The Body (1996)
60 Matthew Grenby | Bubbles (1996)
63 Jonah Peretti | Clay (1999)
66 Diane Willow | Mud (1999)

WHAT WE MODEL
70 Lauren Seeley Aguirre | Gumby (1985)
73 Michael Murtaugh | Easy- Bake Oven (1990)
76 Emmanuel Marcovitch | Kitchen Clock (1996)
80 Christine Alvarado | My Little Pony (1999)
82 Cameron Marlow | Fly Rod (1999)
84 James Patten | Wood Stove (1999)
88 Daniel Kornhauser | Shirts (2000)
92 Mara E. Vatz | Vacuum Tubes (2003)
96 Selby Cull | Chocolate Meringue (2006)
WHAT WE PLAY
102 Walter Novash | Cords (1982)
105 Jonah Benton | Dice (1990)
108 Erica Carmel | Egg Basket (1992)
111 Eric Choi | Keys (1992)
114 Janet Licini Connors | Cardboard Boxes (1992)
118 Gil Weinberg | Music Box (1997)
120 Kwan Hong Lee | Marbles (1999)
123 Robbin Chapman | Jacks (2000)
126 Douglas Kiang | Pachinko Machine (2000)

WHAT WE BUILD
132 Chuck Esserman | Bikes (1979)
134 Kwatsi Alibaruho | Erector Set (1990)
137 Austina (Vainius) De Bonte | Straws (1996)
142 Timothy Bickmore | Lasers (1998)
147 Justin Marble | LEGO Particles (1982)
150 Sandie Eltringham | LEGO Metrics (1990)
153 Alan Liu | LEGO People (1990)
156 Andrew Chu | LEGO Laws (1992)
159 Scott Brave | LEGO Planning (1996)
162 Dana Spiegel | LEGO Replicas (1996)
164 Joseph “Jofi sh” Kaye | LEGO Categories (1998)

WHAT WE SORT
168 Todd Strauss | Wallpaper (1982)
170 Britt Nesheim | Toy Mailbox (1989)
173 Joseph Calzaretta | Stop Signs (1992)
175 Brian Tivol | Cards (1996)
WHAT WE PROGRAM
180 Fred Martin | BASIC Manual (1989)
183 David (Duis) Story | Apple II (1990)
189 Ji Yoo | Atari 2600 (1994)
193 Chris Dodge | TRS- 80 (1996)
199 Nelson Minar | BASIC (1996)
203 Steve Niemczyk | Atari 800 (1996)
206 Rachel Elkin Lebwohl | Apple II (1998)
208 Anthony Townsend | Modem (1999)
212 Antoinne M achal- Cajigas | TurboGrafx 16 (2007)

PART II
Mentors and Their Objects
What Made a Scientist?

220 Susan Hockfi eld | What We See: Microscope
228 Rosalind Picard | What We Sense: Purple Haze
236 Moshe Safdie | What We Model: Steps
242 Sarah Kuhn | What We Play: Blocks
248 Donald Norman | What We Build: Radio
252 Donald Ingber | What We Sort: Venus Paradise
Coloring Set
262 Alan Kay | What We Program: Vacuums
268 Seymour Papert | Objects in Mind: Gears

273 Sherry Turkle | Epilogue: What Inspires?

284 Notes
291 Bibliography and Suggested Readings
305 Illustration Credits
306 Index