| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥2,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Our studies have been developed under the title : Reflexions on the place of Descartes and Pascal in the history of the scientific thoughts and Study of concerned bibliographies. For this purpose, we had planned seven projects: (1) A workshop with specialists in experiments and history of science, (2) A workshop inviting a professor of Pascal studies from France, (3) Research of documents in French libraries, (4) An open experiment of Pascal and others' "Experiences du vide dans le vide" with the devices we re-constructed, (5) Making a list of bibliographies concerning the two philosophers' scientific works, (6) An oral presentation at the annual meeting of History of Science Society of Japan, (7) Publication of our result reports in European languages. Except the second one, we could successfully complete all the other projects:
1.As for Descartes, we proposed the importance of the physiology developed in the 17th century Europe.
2.On investigation of Pascaline, a primitive calculator, we deepened the notion of the "unity" and discussedits connection with Pensees.
3.Above all, our open experiment and its DVD recording invited enthusiastic reactions beyond our expectation even among French and Italian scholars. The reconsidering of these experiments led us from our starting point, "the feasibility or the fictivity of Pascal's experiment," to the discussion of the difference of recognitions between Pascal and Roberval about the elasticity of the air.
4.During the 17-18th centuries, a membrane of a pig bladder was used to cover the tops of the glass tubes. We researched how to get and use the membrane and found that the "baloons" Pascal used in his thought experiments were, in fact, pig bladders.
We are planning to open their bibliographies on the WEB site.
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