Research to evaluate the work of U. Nakaya, a scientist of snow and ice, in the historical and social context

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25350375
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology/History of science and technology
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: SUGIYAMA SHIGEO 北海道大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 特任教授 (30179171)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 中谷宇吉郎 / 低温科学 / 軍事研究 / TVA / 農業物理学 / 積雪地方農村経済調査所 / 北海道帝国大学 / 科学随筆

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project has unveiled the following points concerning U. Nakaya's works: what was his contribution in the research on the mechanism and prevention of frost heave; what he had learned from the TVA project conducted in the U.S. and how did he utilize the lesson in his activity; what did he say in popular articles when Japan started its scientific expedition of antactica in 1957; to what extent and in what sense was his work on ice "military research"?
The result of the survey has revealed the new image of the scientist, U. Nakaya: he was not so much a genuine scientist with pure mind of just trying to unveil the mystery of nature, as a "secular" scientist who had a good deal of interest on social problems and kept in touch with some politicians and businessmen to get financial support on his projects.

Free Research Field

科学史