Treccani History of Science
The second Scientific Revolution
I8 – Physics and chemistry
Part C - Americanization of science, 1945-1960
Edited by John L. Heilbron
Restructuring
• 1. Americanization of science
• 2. Import and export
• 3. The internationalization of the American scientific community
Defense and American science
• 1. War surplus
• 2. Post-war era
• 3. Ongoing support
International responses
• 1. CERN: A 'Marshall plan' for European high-energy physics
• 2. ESRO and space physics
• 3. Fusion and JET
• 4. Collaboration and 'Americanization'
Scientists on the move
• 1. Military pawns
• 2. Political intruders
• 3. Security risks
• 4. Ambassadors
• 5. Brain market
Tool of the trade
• 1. Accelerators in war and peace: 1945-1952
• 2. Bigger and more bountiful: 1952-1960
The quantum and the microworld
• 1. Quantum electrodynamics
• 2. The weak interactions and strange particles
• 3. Strong interactions and nuclear forces
• 4. Other significant topics
Big science in the macroworld
• 1. International Geophysical Year
• 2. Project Mohole
• 3. Plate tectonics
• 4. Planetary radar astronomy
• 5. Retrospective
Condensed matter physics
• 1. New groups with new techniques
• 2. The empire of semiconductors
• 3. Collective phenomena
• 4. A mature field
Cosmologies
• 1. Relativistic models
• 2. Refutation of static models
• 3. Expanding models
• 4. Nuclear processes
• 5. A few facts
• 6. Inflation
Electronics and computing
• 1. The first electronic stored program computers
• 2. A computer industry
• 3. Programming languages
• 4. Solid-state electronics
Nuclear power
• 1. The nuclear power industry
• 2. Nuclear power and science
• 3. Contemporary conflicts
Petroleum chemicals and chemical industry
• 1. Petroleum
• 2. New polymers
• 3. Industrial research