Andrew Pickering (born 1948) is a British sociologist, philosopher and
historian of science
The history of science covers the development of science from ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural, social, and formal.
Science's earliest roots can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Meso ...
at the
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...
. He was a professor of sociology and a director of science and technology studies at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univ ...
until 2007. He holds a doctorate in physics from the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
, and a doctorate in Science Studies from the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
.
His book ''Constructing Quarks: A Sociological History of Particle Physics'' (1984) is a classic in the field of the
sociology of science
The sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) is the study of science as a social activity, especially dealing with "the social conditions and effects of science, and with the social structures and processes of scientific activity." The sociolog ...
.
Career
![Andrew Pickering 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Andrew_Pickering_2011.jpg)
In elucidating some of the sociological factors prevailing in particle physics, Pickering also wrote a number of papers for journals and conferences.
[ According to Pickering, theory and experiment come in packages, and traditions of experiment generate just the kind of data which will fuel further theorising, while traditions of theory generate new problems for further development.][
Pickering thus described two theoretical frameworks in particle physics: 'old physics' – which at the time of its death, was "still alive"][ – dominated high energy physics through the 1960s and into the early 1970s, and concerned itself with 'common article physicsphenomena'. 'New physics' refers to the theory and experiment 'package' concerned with rare phenomena, such as the search for quarks. While each theoretical framework had little to say about the other, and "was useless in the phenomenal world of its rival",][ each was satisfactory in its own terms. Despite this, Pickering also outlined a process of "magical transmutation", where new theories are produced from old, by what he called "analogical recycling".][ Pickering noted that all this is symptomatic of Kuhnian type revolutions.][
He authored ''The mangle of practice: Time, agency and science'' (University of Chicago Press, 1995), where he develops a performative conception of scientific practice, focusing on non-human agency and strongly contributing to the posthumanist trend of Science and Technology Studies. His most recent book, ''The Cybernetic Brain: Sketches of Another Future'' traces the history of British Cybernetics after the Second World War. Pickering considers ]Cybernetics
Cybernetics is a wide-ranging field concerned with circular causality, such as feedback, in regulatory and purposive systems. Cybernetics is named after an example of circular causal feedback, that of steering a ship, where the helmsperson m ...
as a type of nomad science that, instead of seeking to dominate reality as its modern counterpart (thus leading to processes of enframing, following Heidegger) rather develops an ontological theatre between humans and non-humans. In this book, Pickering explores projects that intertwine, for instance, technology, psychiatry, spirituality, education and, of course, brain sciences.
Selected publications
Books
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Chapters in books
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Journal articles
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Notes
a. See Dalitz (1985) for a critical review of this book.[
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References
External links
Home page at the University of Exeter
Former home page at UIUC
Ideas radio show, discusses Pickering's views of science and its view in society
Archival collections
Andrew Pickering interviews conducted for his book CONSTRUCTING QUARKS, 1978-1985, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickering, Andrew
Living people
Historians of science
Alumni of University College London
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
British sociologists
1948 births