Science. 1980 Jul 4;209(4452):27-32. doi: 10.1126/science.209.4452.27.
For many years American science in the late 19th century was regarded as an intellectual backwater. This view derived from the assumption that the health of American science at the time was equivalent to the condition of pure science, especially pure physics. However, a closer look reveals that there was considerable vitality in American scientific research, especially in the earth and life sciences. This vitality is explainable in part by the natural scientific resources of the American continent but also in part by the energy given science from religious impulses, social reformism, and practicality. Furthermore, contrary to recent assumptions, the federal government was a significant patron of American science. The portrait of American science circa 1880 advanced in this article suggests that the nation's scientific enterprise was characterized by pluralism of institutional support and motive and that such pluralism has historically been the normal mode.
多年来，19 世纪后期的美国科学一直被视为知识的荒漠。这种观点源于这样一种假设，即当时美国科学的健康状况等同于纯科学，尤其是纯物理学的状况。然而，仔细观察就会发现，美国的科学研究具有相当大的活力，特别是在地球和生命科学领域。这种活力部分可以用美洲大陆的自然科学资源来解释，也可以部分用宗教冲动、社会改革主义和实用性赋予科学的能量来解释。此外，与最近的假设相反，联邦政府是美国科学的重要赞助者。本文提出的 19 世纪 80 年代的美国科学画像表明，美国的科学事业以机构支持和动机的多元化为特征，而这种多元化在历史上一直是正常模式。
