Table Of Content

ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page I New Dictionary of Scientific Biography ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page II Published by special arrangement with the American Council of Learned Societies The American Council of Learned Societies, organized in 1919 for the purpose of advancing the study of the humanities and of the humanistic aspects of the social sciences, is a nonprofit federation comprising thirty-three national scholarly groups. The Council represents the humanities in the United States in the International Union of Academies, provides fellowships and grants-in-aid, supports research-and-planning conferences and symposia, and sponsers special projects and scholarly publications. MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS American Philosophical Society, 1743 Society of Architectural Historians, 1940 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1780 Association for Asian Studies, 1941 American Antiquarian Society, 1812 American Society for Aesthetics, 1942 American Oriental Society, 1842 American Association for the Advancement of American Numismatic Society, 1858 Slavic Studies, 1948 American Philological Association, 1869 American Studies Association, 1950 Archaeological Institute of America, 1879 Metaphysical Society of America, 1950 Society of Biblical Literature, 1880 North American Conference on British Studies, Modern Language Association of America, 1883 1950 American Historical Association, 1884 American Society of Comparative Law, 1951 American Economic Association, 1885 Renaissance Society of America, 1954 American Folklore Society, 1888 Society for Ethnomusicology, 1955 American Society of Church History, 1888 Society for French Historical Studies, 1956 American Dialect Society, 1889 International Center of Medieval Art, 1956 American Psychological Association, 1892 American Society for Legal History, 1956 Association of American Law Schools, 1900 American Philosophical Association, 1900 American Society for Theatre Research, 1956 American Schools of Oriental Research, 1900 African Studies Association, 1957 American Anthropological Association, 1902 Society for the History of Technology, 1958 American Political Science Association, 1903 Society for Cinema and Media Studies, 1959 Bibliographical Society of America, 1904 American Comparative Literature Association, Association of American Geographers, 1904 1960 Hispanic Society of America, 1904 Law and Society Association, 1964 American Sociological Association, 1905 Middle East Studies Association of North America, American Society of International Law, 1906 1966 Organization of American Historians, 1907 Latin American Studies Association, 1966 American Academy of Religion, 1909 Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, College Forum of the National Council of Teachers 1968 of English, 1911 American Society for Eighteenth Century Studies, Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian 1969 Study, 1911 Association for Jewish Studies, 1969 College Art Association, 1912 Sixteenth Century Society and Conference, 1970 National Communication Association, 1914 Society for American Music, 1975 History of Science Society, 1924 Dictionary Society of North America, 1975 Linguistic Society of America, 1924 Medieval Academy of America, 1925 German Studies Association, 1976 American Association for the History of Medicine, American Society for Environmental History, 1976 1925 Society for Music Theory, 1977 American Musicological Society, 1934 National Council on Public History, 1979 Economic History Association, 1940 Society of Dance History Scholars, 1979 ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page III New Dictionary of Scientific Biography VOLUME 1 ABDERHALDEN–BYERS Noretta Koertge EDITOR IN CHIEF ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page IV New Dictionary of Scientific Biography Noretta Koertge © 2008 Gale Group For permission to use material from the prod- While every effort has been made to secure uct, submit your request via the Web at permission to reprint material and to ensure Thomson and Star Logo are trademarks and http://www.gale-edit.com/permissions, or you the reliability of the information presented in Gale is a registered trademark used herein may download our Permissions Request form this publication, Gale Group neither guaran- under license. and submit your request by fax or mail to: tees the accuracy of the data contained herein nor assumes any responsibility for errors, For more information, contact: Permissions Department omissions, or discrepancies. 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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA New dictionary of scientific biography / Noretta Koertge, editor in chief. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-684-31320-7 (set : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-684-31321-4 (vol. 1 : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-684-31322-1 (vol. 2 : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-684-31323-8 (vol. 3 : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-684-31324-5 (vol. 4 : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-684-31325-2 (vol. 5 : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-684-31326-9 (vol. 6 : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-684-31327-6 (vol. 7 : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-684-31328-3 (vol. 8 : alk. paper) 1. Scientists—Biography—Dictionaries. I. Koertge, Noretta. Q141.N45 2008 509.2'2—dc22 [B] 2007031384 ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page V Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF Noretta Koertge Indiana University, Department of History and Philosophy of Science ADVISORY COMMITTEE William Bechtel James Capshew David L. Hull Jane Maienschein John Norton Eric R. Scerri Brian Skyrms Michael M. Sokal Spencer Weart SUBJECT EDITORS William Bechtel James H. Capshew Matthew Goodrum University of California, San Diego, Indiana University at Bloomington, Virginia Tech, Department of Science Department of Philosophy and Department of History and and Technology in Society Science Studies Program Philosophy of Science PALEOANTHROPOLOGY LIFE SCIENCES PSYCHOLOGY Jeremy Gray Stephen Bocking Steven J. Dick The Open University, United Trent University, Ontario, Environmental and Resource Studies National Aeronautics and Space Kingdom, Department of Mathematics Program Administration MATHEMATICS AND LOGIC ECOLOGY SPACE SCIENCE Valerie Gray Hardcastle James Fleming Theodore Brown University of Cincinnati, McMicken Colby College, Science, Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana- College of Arts and Sciences and Society Program Champaign, Department of Chemistry and Beckman Institute METEOROLOGY, HYDROLOGY, COGNITIVE AND CHEMISTRY OCEANOGRAPHY NEUROSCIENCE Lillian Hoddeson Richard Burkhardt Gregory A. Good University of Illinois at Urbana- West Virginia University, Department University of Illiniois at Urbana- Champaign, Department of History of History Champaign, Department of History ANIMAL BEHAVIOR GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS PHYSICS ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page VI Editorial Board Ernst Homburg Jane Maienschein Robert Smith Universiteit Maastricht, The Arizona State University, School of University of Alberta, Department of Netherlands, Department of History Life Sciences, Center for Biology and History and Classics CHEMISTRY Society ASTRONOMY AND LIFE SCIENCES David L. Hull ASTROPHYSICS Northwestern University, Department Elizabeth Paris of Philosophy Independent Scholar Stephen Weininger LIFE SCIENCES PHYSICS Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Helge Kragh Carsten Reinhardt Department of Chemistry and University of Aarhus, Denmark, Steno University of Bielefeld, Germany, Biochemistry Department for Studies of Science and Institute for Science and Technology CHEMISTRY Science Education Studies COSMOLOGY CHEMISTRY Paul Weirich Michael S. Mahoney John Rigden University of Missouri-Columbia, Princeton University, Department of Washington University in St. Louis, Computer Science Department of Physics Department of Philosophy COMPUTER SCIENCE PHYSICS DECISION AND GAME THEORY CONSULTING EDITORS Garland E. Allen Alexander Jones Lynn Nyhart Washington University, St. Louis, University of Toronto, Department of University of Wisconsin at Madison, Department of Biology Classics Department of the History of Science Domenico Bertoloni Meli William Newman Juergen Renn Indiana University, Center for the Indiana University, Department of Max Planck Institute for the History History of Medicine History and Philosophy of Science of Science, Berlin Craig Fraser Vivian Nutton University of Toronto, Institute for the University College London, Wellcome Johannes M. M. H. Thijssen History and Philosophy of Science and Trust Centre for the History of Radboud University Nijmegen, Technology Medicine Faculty of Philosophy ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR IN CHIEF Anne Mylott Indiana University, Department of History and Philosophy of Science VI NEW DICTIONARY OF SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page VII Editorial and Production Staff PROJECT EDITOR Sarah O’Mahen INDEXER Angela M. Pilchak Anne Mylott Factiva, Inc. Linda Sanders CONTRIBUTING PROJECT EDITORS RIGHTS ACQUISITION AND PROOFREADERS MANAGEMENT Kristin Mallegg Margaret Mazurkiewicz Melodie Monahan Scott Bragg Bridget Travers Amy L. Unterberger Jackie Jones Sue Rudolph EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS TRANSLATORS Dana Chidiac Erwin Fink TYPESETTER Emily Gruber Louis Kibler Datapage Technologies International, George Kolodziej Inc. EDITORIAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT Donald Nicholson Mark Droulliard Alan Thwaits COMPOSITION Marc Faerber Evi Seoud PRODUCT DESIGN Mark Springer Mary Beth Trimper Mike Weaver Pamela A. E. Galbreath Linda Hubbard MANUFACTURING MANUSCRIPT EDITORS IMAGING Dorothy Maki Rhonda K. Baird Dorothy Bauhoff Dean Dauphinais PUBLISHER Sylvia J. Cannizzaro Lezlie Light Sylvia Engdahl Kelly Quin Jay Flynn Christine Kelley John Krol GRAPHIC ART EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Michael L. Levine GGS Information Services, York, PA John Fitzpatrick VII ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page IX Table of Contents Introduction XI Contributors XV List of Scientists by Field XLI List of Nobel Prize Winners LV New Dictionary of Scientific Biography 1 Index ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page XI Introduction The New Dictionary of Scientific Biography (DSB)is a major addition to the magisterial com- pilation of scientific biographies edited by Charles Gillispie and published by Charles Scrib- ner’s Sons between 1970 and 1980. The original sixteen volumes of the DSB presented scholarly essays on the lives and careers of great scientists, mathematicians, and natural philosophers from the time of Thales, Hippocrates, and Aristotle to such twentieth-century figures as Hubble, Curie, and Einstein. In 1990, two new supplementary volumes were added to cover recently deceased figures such as Rachel Carson, Kurt Gödel, Werner Heisenberg, and Jacques Monod. The DSBbecame an indispensable tool for a wide audience. For scholars it was a repos- itory of authoritative biographical information and a portal to the best bibliographic sources. And for students and laypeople it provided an attractive new way to understand important scientific achievements. How better to appreciate a new concept or a new instru- ment than to read about the personal path that led to the innovation and to share in the excitement—and disappointments—that accompanied the scientist’s discovery. The New DSB is committed to continuing that scholarly tradition into the twenty-first century and to extending its accessibility to a general audience through the addition of photographs of the scientists at work and images from their publications. As with the original DSBour goal is to identify the most noteworthy scientists and present the story of their accomplishments within the broader context of their lives in essays that reflect the best available historio- graphic research. We have followed the original editorial policy of focusing on the natural and formal sciences. As the number of working scientists continues to grow, difficult decisions had to be made. The original DSBcould undertake to cover every significant contributor to the Sci- entific Revolution or nineteenth-century chemistry. But we could no longer aspire to such completeness. So while not neglecting key figures in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, we have endeavored to make sure that we had a crucial number of pioneers in the new sciences that are playing pivotal roles in today’s society. Thus, we appointed special editors for ecology, ethology, computer science, decision theory, and space science. We also highlighted traditional disciplines that have matured and become more important, such as climatology, psychology, and physical anthropology. The Advisory Committee wanted the New DSB to incorporate the very best recent scholarship in history of science studies. Thus we introduced Postscripts that update some XI ndsb_fmv1 10/1/07 2:03 PM Page XII Introduction 225 of the original articles. A striking example is the entry describing Newton’s alchemy, which adds a totally new dimension to our understanding of his matter theory; the Post- script on Mendel points out a surprising connection between his famous pea experiments and earlier discussions on heredity that took place at meetings of the Moravian Sheep Breed- ers Society; the new commentaries on Darwin and Freud provide excellent overviews of the vast new literature on these figures. These Postscripts are intended to supplement, not sup- plant, the original articles. Thanks to extensive historical research on women in science, we now have much more information available about the contributions of people such as Ada Lovelace, credited with writing the first computer program; the astronomer Caroline Herschel, discoverer of numerous comets; and Maria Agnesi, who wrote a famous pioneering book on calculus. These new entries not only tell interesting stories about our intellectual foremothers but also provide valuable information about the social structure of the scientific community. The New DSB fills in other gaps, including additional Arabic researchers from the medieval period, African American scientists, and important figures from a variety of Asian countries. Our understanding of both current and past science is shaped by philosophical and sociological theories about the structure and development of science. Included in the New DSB are biographical essays on figures who have shaped our current ideas about science: Thomas Kuhn’s notion of paradigm, Karl Popper’s falsifiability criterion, and Robert K. Merton’s theory of scientific norms. Many of the new entries reflect the growing interest of historians in the social conditions and disciplinary organizations in which scientists do their work. Scientific achievements emerge out of a complex interplay between the conceptual frameworks available at the time and the sometimes-idiosyncratic views of the individual scientist, all moderated by the unflagging scientific demand for empirical adequacy and the quality control mechanisms of the relevant scientific communities. The NewDSB, with its integral print index in volume 8, can stand as a major addition to the original work. What will amplify its value in ways that we can scarcely foresee is the simultaneous publication of a fully searchable, electronic version that combines the original DSBvolumes, including supplements, with the new series: the Complete Dictionary of Sci- entific Biography. Because this online “e-book” version is fully searchable, users of the Com- pleteDSBwill be able to pose questions that would elude even the best index. Compiling a list of scientists who spent time in Leiden or Indonesia will require only a few keystrokes. What about changing understandings of terms such as gene, infinity, symmetry, or reflex? A search of the CompleteDSBwill provide a wealth of clues to the evolution of these concepts. If so moved, a curious reader could even use the e-book version to dig up multiple exam- ples of scientists who had a strong interest in music and mountaineering—or who committed suicide! Having an electronic version of the complete 26 volumes of the world’s largest collection of scientific biographies will not only facilitate research but also lead to new avenues of inquiry about how science works. Furthermore, the Complete DSB, when inte- grated into a library’s collection, becomes cross-searchable with a potentially limitless array of other reference works. The user can, for example, seek different perspectives on Galileo here and in the New Catholic Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia of Philosophyor compare the history of science perspective on Darwin with that of present-day zoologists in Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia. A decade passed between the completion of the DSBand the appearance of its first dis- crete supplement (vols. 17 and 18). A further seventeen years stand between that supplement and the NewDSB. Whatever the future of information technology may hold, it seems inconceivable that our present work will stand unrevised for so long. Already, in the Com- plete DSB,new material is interleaved with old. We expect that future additions and emen- dations will occur on a regular basis, and we welcome suggestions and corrections to the current volumes. In that spirit, we offer this new Dictionaryas but a step toward the goal of continuous revision and updating. XII NEW DICTIONARY OF SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY