内容简介
In the widely discussed first volume in the Golem series, TheGolem: What You Should Know About Science, Harry Colllins andTrevor Pinch likened science to the Golem, a creature from Jewishmythology, a powerful creature which, while not evil, can bedangerous because it is clumsy. In this second volume, the authorsnow consider the Golem of technology. In a series of case studiesthey demonstrate that the imperfections in technology are relatedto the uncertainties in science. The case studies cover the role ofthe Patriot anti-missile missile in the Gulf War, the Challengerspace shuttle explosion, tests of nuclear fuel flasks and ofanti-misting kerosene as a fuel for airplanes, economic modeling,the question of the origins of oil, analysis of the Chernobylnuclear disaster, and the contribution of lay expertise to theanalysis of treatments for AIDS. Anyone who views technology with awary eye will love The Golem at Large. Harry Collins is Professorof Sociology at Cardiff University and Director for the Study ofKnowledge Expertise and Science at the University of Wales. Hisother books include the forthcoming The One Culture (University ofChicago Press, 2001) and (with M. Kusch) The Shape of Actions (MIT,1998). nTrevor Pinch is a founding member of the Department ofScience and Technology Studies at Cornell University, where he isnow chair. He is co-editor (with Wiebe E. Bijker) of The SocialConstruction of Technological Systems (MIT, 1989).