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Eric Scerri

UCLA
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  • Philosophy of chemistry—a new interdisciplinary field?
    Eric Scerri
    Journal of Chemical Education 77 522-526. 2000.
    Philosophy of Chemistry—A New Interdisciplinary Field? What could possibly be the connection between chemistry and philosophy, apart from the obvious superficial one of their both representing quests for knowledge? How do contemporary chemists and philosophers generally view one another? These are some of the questions I will try to put before going on to describe the connections that have recently been forged between these two seemingly very diverse fields of academic study.
  • What is an Element? Oxford University Press, 2020 (edited book)
    Eric Scerri
    Oxford University Press. 2020.
    The concept of a chemical element is foundational within the field of chemistry, but there is wide disagreement over its definition. Even the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) claims two distinct definitions: a species of atoms versus one which identifies chemical elements with the simple substances bearing their names. The double definition of elements proposed by the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry contrasts an abstract meaning and an operational one…Read more