Pulkkinen Karoliina
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ambix. 2020 May;67(2):174-198. doi: 10.1080/00026980.2020.1747325. Epub 2020 Apr 15.
Julius Lothar Meyer, John Newlands, and Dmitrii Mendeleev were amongst the discoverers of the periodic system of the elements. Although their systems are similar enough to be recognised as the precursors for the modern periodic system, they were also different. Here, I argue that many of their differences can be explained in terms of how the chemists emphasised different values in the process of developing their systems. In particular, Newland highlighted the simplicity of his arrangements; Meyer was more careful about the quality of data that gave rise to his system of elements; and Mendeleev sought to make his system more complete. By shedding light as to how the values of simplicity, completeness and carefulness guided the development of early periodic systems, this paper contributes to a broader understanding of how values influence science.
尤利乌斯·洛塔尔·迈耶、约翰·纽兰兹和德米特里·门捷列夫都是元素周期系统的发现者。尽管他们的系统有足够的相似之处，可被视为现代周期系统的前身，但也存在差异。在此，我认为他们的许多差异可以从化学家们在构建各自系统的过程中所强调的不同价值观方面来解释。具体而言，纽兰兹强调了其排列方式的简单性；迈耶对形成其元素系统的数据质量更为谨慎；而门捷列夫则力求使他的系统更加完整。通过阐明简单性、完整性和谨慎性这些价值观如何引导早期周期系统的发展，本文有助于更广泛地理解价值观对科学的影响。
