Eric Scerri

Sir Karl Popper is one of the few authors to have discussed the reduction of chemistry. His approach consists of what I term naturalistic reduction, which I suggest bears close similarities to the way in which scientists regard reduction. The present article aims to build on Popper's insights into the nature of reduction in science and more specifically to suggest an approach to characterizing a specific sense of the notion of approximate reduction in the context of chemistry. In the course of the discussion, one of Popper's better known passages on the reduction of chemistry is analysed in some detail.

Having just returned from a science education conference in Brazil I can confirm that there is a great deal of interest in the history and philosophy of chemistry in this country that will be hosting the next ISPC meeting in Rio de Janeiro between July 28th and 30th, 2015. The organizer is Professor Waldmir Araujo Neto who can be contacted at [email protected] for further details.The present issue of Foundations of Chemistry has an even more international flavor than usual with articles from Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Russia and the United States in order of appearance. We begin with Octavio Novaro’s further analysis of the placement of elements in the periodic table. Next comes a debate between Olimpia Lombardi in Argentina and Hinne Hettema in New Zealand concerning the reduction of chemistry which arose from Hettema’s recent book on the subject. Amihud Gilead, who gave a presentation for the first time at the recent ISPC meeting in London, contributes an art ..

The main thrust of the paper involves a theoretical and philosophical analysis of the claim made in September 1999 that atomic orbitals have been directly imaged for the first time. After a brief account of the recent claims the paper reviews the development of the orbit and later orbital concepts and analyzes the theoretical status of atomic orbitals. The conclusion is that contrary to these claims, atomic orbitals have not in fact been observed. The non-referring nature of modern atomic orbitals is discussed in the context of Laudan's writings on realism, the success of theories, and whether or not scientific terms refer. I conclude that the failure to observe orbitals is a good prima facie case for divorcing the success of theories from the question of whether their central terms refer. The added relevance of this case is that it concerns a current and highly successful theory. Finally, the relevance of this 'floating model' to contemporary discussions on scientific models is briefly considered

The final issue of this volume is a long-awaited special issue in honor of the late Richard Bader one of the pioneers of modern theoretical chemistry. Bader’s work has had wide ramifications in the profession and has given rise to a great deal of philosophical discussion concerning chemical bonding, whether atoms exist in molecules, the nature of atomic orbitals and much besides.The guest editor for what will be a two-part special issue is Cherif Matta a leading proponent of Bader’s approach to theoretical chemistry and incidentally a former PhD student of Bader’s. I will leave it to Cherif to introduce the articles in his extensive and very well referenced editorial.Moving to news of the society, I would like to thank Lucia Lewowitz for organizing such a splendid ISPC meeting which took place in Monevideo as well as the city of Fray Bentos in Uruguay this past August. I am also pleased to announce that we have a definite location for the next annual meeting, which has been graciously

There is now a considerable body of published work on the epistemology of modern chemistry, especially with regard to the nature of quantum chemistry. In addition, the question of the metaphysical underpinnings of chemistry has received a good deal of attention. The present article concentrates on metaphysical considerations including the question of whether elements and groups of elements are natural kinds. It is also argued that an appeal to the metaphysical nature of elements can help clarify the re-emerging controversies among chemists regarding the placement of the elements hydrogen and helium in the periodic system and the question of whether there exists a best form of the periodic table

In his latest book, Eric Scerri presents a completely original account of the nature of scientific progress. It consists of a holistic and unified approach in which science is seen as a living and evolving single organism. Instead of scientific revolutions featuring exceptionally gifted individuals, Scerri argues that the "little people" contribute as much as the "heroes" of science. To do this he examines seven case studies of virtually unknown chemists and physicists in the early 20th century quest to discover the structure of the atom. They include the amateur scientist Anton van den Broek who pioneered the notion of atomic number as well as Edmund Stoner a then physics graduate student who provided the seed for Pauli's Exclusion Principle. Another case is the physicist John Nicholson who is virtually unknown and yet was the first to propose the notion of quantization of angular momentum that was soon put to good use by Niels Bohr. Instead of focusing on the logic and rationality of science, Scerri elevates the role of trial and error and multiple discovery and moves beyond the notion of scientific developments being right or wrong. While criticizing Thomas Kuhn's notion of scientific revolutions he agrees with Kuhn that science is not drawn towards an external truth but is rather driven from within. The book will enliven the long-standing debate on the nature of science, which has increasingly shied away from the big question of "what is science?"