History

Ariane Tanner

Die Mathematisierung des Lebens

Alfred James Lotka und der energetische Holismus im 20. Jahrhundert

[The Mathematization of Life. Alfred James Lotka and the 20th Century's Energetic Holism.]

2017. IX, 318 pages.

Historische Wissensforschung 8

74,00 €
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hardcover
ISBN 978-3-16-154491-0
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Published in German.
Ariane Tanner deciphers Alfred James Lotka's »Elements of Physical Biology« as an interdisciplinary synopsis of its time, denoting it as a key work of the 20th century's narrative of energetic holism. At the same time, she tells the story of Lotka as a largely non-academic researcher and scientific 'interventor' who slipped through conventional reception models.
To mathematize the world and thereby explain it: in 1925, the natural scientist and actuary Alfred James Lotka completed his monograph »Elements of Physical Biology«, which interpreted all processes on planet earth energetically and formalised them. The result was a mathematically precise and at the same time holistic world view of interacting dynamic systems that humans should influence rationally. Ariane Tanner deciphers »Elements of Physical Biology« as an interdisciplinary synopsis of its time, denoting it as a key work of the 20th century's narrative of energetic holism. At the same time, she tells the story of Lotka as a largely non-academic researcher and scientific 'interventor' who slipped through conventional reception models.
Authors/Editors

Ariane Tanner Geboren 1976; Studium der Allgemeinen Geschichte, Philosophie und Religionswissenschaft; 2014 Promotion; seither verschiedene Engagements in Unterricht (Hochschule der Künste Bern, Universität Zürich) Forschung und Kultur; momentan assoziierte Wissenschaftlerin am Collegium Helveticum, Zürich; 2016 Research Fellowship am IFK (Internationales Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften Kunstuniversität Linz) in Wien.

Reviews

The following reviews are known:

In: NTM – Zeitschr.f.Gesch.d.Wissensch.,Technik u Medizin — 27 (2019), S. 223–225 (Andrea Loettgers)
In: Berichte z. Wissenschaftsgeschichte — 2018, S.307–308 (Elisabth Neswald)
In: Infosperber — http://www.infosperber.ch/Artikel/Umwelt/Okologie-Technik-Okonomie (5/2017) (Hans Steiger)
In: H-Soz-u-Kult — http://hsozkult.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/rezensionen/2018–2-035 (Mitchell Ash)