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‘Survivor 51’ star Patt Cannaday explains why she was ‘internally furious’ after blindside
‘Survivor 51’ star Patt Cannaday explains why she was ‘internally furious’ after blindside, and reveals what happened to her missing pants.
CNN guest calls out ‘The View’ to Ana Navarro’s face during on-air debate
CNN guest Scott Jennings called out ‘The View’ to Ana Navarro’s face during a live debate on the news network, claiming the show ‘is able to do whatever it wants.’
‘Survivor 51’ star Rob Antonson insists ‘I’m not a quitter. I’m just not.’
‘Survivor 51’ player Rob Antonson looks back at his controversial exit and insists ‘I’m not a quitter. I’m just not. I’ve never quit anything in my life.’
Joey Lawrence says ‘Melissa & Joey’ was ‘ruined’ by Freeform
Joey Lawrence says ‘Melissa & Joey,’ in which he starred for four seasons opposite Melissa Joan Hart, was ‘ruined’ by Freeform
Princess Diana’s brother trashes Kristen Stewart’s ‘Spencer’ movie: ‘Terrible’
Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, trashed Kristen Stewart’s ‘Spencer’ movie as ‘terrible,’ though he praised the Oscar-nominated actress’ performance for ‘capturing Diana’ in spirit.
Teresa Giudice’s daughter Milania offers apology after airport incident
‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’s star Teresa Giudice’s daughter Milania Giudice apologized after going viral for an airport incident last month.
EW reveals Breaking Big honorees for 2025 SCAD Film Festival
‘Primetime’ star Skyler Gisondo, ‘Off Campus’ actor Jalen Thomas Brooks,’ ‘Carrie’ star Summer H. Howell, and more are EW’s Breaking Big honorees at the 2026 SCAD Film Festival.
William Shatner reflects on 60 years of ‘Star Trek’: ‘A phenomenon that can’t be repeated’
To celebrate 60 years of ‘Star Trek,’ William Shatner discusses the origins of the iconic franchise and his unforgettable run as Captain Kirk.
PepsiCo to cut costs as weak N.America business hurts annual core profit forecast
PepsiCo said on Thursday it would pursue additional cost cuts after lowering its annual core profit forecast due to sluggish demand for its snacks and beverages in North America and rising input costs.
California Could Become First State to Ban Quartz Countertop Production Amid Health Concerns
California could soon become the first state to ban quartz countertops amid mounting health concerns. California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is expected to pass a ban as emergency regulation this October, after a rising number of workers have developed silicosis and other lung illnesses.
‘Survivor 51’ recap: A player quits the game due to a ‘tiny cut’
A ‘Survivor 51’ player quits the game due to a ‘tiny cut’ that is smaller than every cut on every contestant to ever play the game. Read EW’s recap.
Ryan Smith launches survey in search for 'strong local vibe' at SLC entertainment district
With two-thirds of the Delta Center's renovation now complete, the owner of the Utah Jazz and Mammoth is now shifting his attention to a planned district east of it.
Rosie O’Donnell apologizes to Wynonna Judd after labeling her a Trump supporter: ‘I was wrong to assume’
Rosie O’Donnell has apologized to Wynonna Judd after assuming the country music star was a Trump supporter.
Bobby Bones details how ‘DWTS’ allegedly decides performance order
Bobby Bones is sharing his theory about how the ‘DWTS’ performance order is determined: ‘They’re showing them off on purpose’
Animal welfare deserves science, not a patchwork of state laws
Animal welfare should be driven by science, not by a patchwork of state-by-state legislation.
Sheila E. slams music festival after concertgoer dies in crowd amid extreme heat conditions
Sheila E. slammed the city of Carson, Calif., and its mayor after a woman died at the Carson Jazz Festival: ‘You guys should have shut down the festival.’
Disney World guests banned after jumping into Epcot boat ride water
Disney World guests were banned after jumping into the Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride’s water at Epcot. ‘This behavior was unsafe and a clear violation of our park rules,’ a Disney World rep tells EW.
Mia Goth files for divorce from Shia LaBeouf
Mia Goth has filed for divorce from Shia LaBeouf. The ‘Nymphomaniac’ costars quietly separated in 2025.
Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe are related, because of course they are
Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe are related, according to a new study done by MyHeritage.
‘DWTS’ pro Val Chmerkovskiy defends his cornrows after taking them out amid backlash
‘DWTS’ pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy admitted he ‘loved’ his cornrows, despite taking them out amid backlash ahead of ‘Mariah Carey Night.’
‘Mamma Mia’ stars and exes Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper reunite
‘Mamma Mia’ stars and exes Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper just reunited 18 years after the movie musical came out. The former costars shared a hug at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
Ciara Miller fights back tears when reacting to ‘DWTS’ elimination: ‘Just sad’
Ciara Miller couldn’t help but feel all the emotions when speaking out about her ‘Dancing With the Stars’ elimination for the first time.
Jimmy Kimmel threatens to call the FCC on Trump for suggesting Iran should bomb California
Jimmy Kimmel threatened to call the FCC on Donald Trump after the president suggested Iran bomb California during a midterm election rally.
Kelly Ripa reveals her own funeral plans, says Mark Consuelos isn’t allowed to do 1 key task
Kelly Ripa revealed her own funeral plans on ‘Live With Kelly and Mark,’ admitting that husband Mark Consuelos isn’t allowed to perform one key task after she dies.
Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson react to ‘DWTS’ judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s claim his ‘joy’ is gone
Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson addressed ‘DWTS’ judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s surprising comment about his lack of ‘joy’ after his ‘Mariah Carey Night’ performance.
Hunter Schafer on transforming into a bona fide action star for ‘Blade Runner 2099’
Hunter Schafer discusses her transformation into a bona fide action star for ‘Blade Runner 2099’ — including mentorship from none other than Michelle Yeoh.
Why Jon Favreau ‘said yes’ to directing ‘Young Sheldon’ pilot (exclusive)
‘Iron Man’ director Jon Favreau explains in Entertainment Weekly’s exclusive ‘Young Sheldon’ excerpt why he ‘said yes’ to directing the show’s 2017 pilot episode.
Nomura Asset counting on Japanese market enthusiasm to expand global business
The asset management arm of Nomura Holdings is capitalising on rising investor interest in Japanese assets to attract new customers and build out its global operations, its chief executive said.
Matthew Lillard says Hollywood doesn’t ‘understand’ him: ‘I still fight for jobs now.’
At 56, Matthew Lillard says he’s no longer as competitive as he once was about jobs, but he laments, “Nobody ever equates me with greatness.”
Chuck Lorre says Roseanne Barr ‘fundamentally hated’ her show’s writers: ‘It was malice’
Chuck Lorre, who got his start writing on ‘Roseanne’ in the ’80s, says Roseanne Barr ‘fundamentally hated’ her sitcom’s writers, because as a stand-up, ‘she made herself a superstar based on her words.’
Hollywood icon Eva Marie Saint dies at 102
Eva Marie Saint, the Oscar-winning actress known for her roles in ‘On the Waterfront’ and ‘North by Northwest,’ has died at 102.
Jackson Olson apologizes for taking a shot at Guillermo Rodriguez’s ‘DWTS’ dancing skills
Jackson Olson is making peace with ‘DWTS’ season 35 fan favorite Guillermo Rodriguez, after criticizing the ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ cohost’s dancing skills on social media.
Tyra Banks explains why she wasn’t on ‘Project Runway’ after on-air clash with Law Roach
Tyra Banks explained why wasn’t on ‘Project Runway’ after her on-air clash with Law Roach in episode 5: ‘People lost their damn minds,’ Banks tells EW.
Brooke Elliott breaks silence on ‘Sweet Magnolias’ cancellation: ‘One last time... pour it out’
Brooke Elliott has finally broke her silence on ‘Sweet Magnolias’ abrupt cancellation after season 5.
Saoirse Ronan addresses husband Jack Lowden’s 007 rumors after admitting she wants to play a Bond villain
Saoirse Ronan discussed her husband Jack Lowden’s rumored new 007 role after admitting she’d love to play a Bond villain one day.
‘Vampire Diaries’ star makes first major public appearance in 7 years
Steven R. McQueen, who starred as Jeremy Gilbert across six seasons of ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ reunited with his former castmates at a Paris fan convention.
‘Crystal Lake’ star Linda Cardellini on tackling horror icon in her post-Emmy era (exclusive)
Linda Cardellini is Mother (Voorhees). The ‘Crystal Lake’ star talks about her biggest horror role to date, paying homage to Betsy Palmer’s ‘Friday the 13th’ character, and what’s next after her Emmy win.
Julia Stiles says it was ‘very wrong’ to play up dance training for ‘Save the Last Dance’ at the time
Julia Stiles said it was ‘very wrong’ of her to play up the dance training she had for ‘Save the Last Dance’ at the time while looking back at a 2000 interview she gave on set of the film.
Michael Douglas recalls conversations with Rob Reiner about having sons with ‘serious drug issues’
In his new memoir, Michael Douglas recalled conversations with Rob Reiner about having sons with ‘serious drug issues.’ Douglas’ son Cameron previously served a seven-year prison sentence for drug possession. Reiner’s son Nick wrote a semi-autobiographical film about his addiction.
‘The Love Witch’ at 10: How Anna Biller created a film that real witches would want to see
‘The Love Witch’ turns 10 in November 2026, and director Anna Biller sat down with EW to reflect on the feminist, ‘60s-inspired horror film and what audiences may have missed upon its release.
Sunny Hostin says Cynthia Erivo phoned her with concerns over ‘The View’ host’s remarks about Cornell case
Cynthia Erivo called Sunny Hostin with concerns over ‘The View’ cohost’s controversial remarks about the alleged Cornell sexual assault case: ‘Sis, I know you.’
Dakota Fanning reveals valuable lesson she learned from working with Kurt Russell
Dakota Fanning reveals the valuable lesson she learned from working with Kurt Russell on the 2005 sports drama film ‘Dreamer.’
Every ‘Scream’ opening scene, ranked
Do you like scary movie opening scenes? No franchise does killer starts like ‘Scream,’ and we’re ranking all of the star-studded sequences.
‘Boy Meets World’ star Matthew Lawrence recalls ‘dysfunction’ on ‘Girl Meets World’
‘Boy Meets World’ star Matthew Lawrence spoke to EW about the ‘dysfunction’ on the ‘Girl Meets World’ set, and his ‘strange’ experience guest-starring on the spinoff.
‘Adventure Time’ creatives break down its most haunting episode
Talk about a pillow fright! ‘Adventure Time’ writers and storyboard artists talk about how they created one of the cartoon’s most haunting episodes ever, ‘Puhoy!’
Bette Davis knew her ‘era’ was ‘over’ when she saw Michael Keaton as Batman
Legendary Hollywood star Bette Davis died just days after she saw a giant poster of Michael Keaton as Batman: ‘I’ve come here to pass the torch.’
Into the Slaughterverse: How ‘Something Is Killing the Children’ cut into film, TV, and books
Into the Slaughterverse! ‘Something Is Killing the Children’ creator James Tynion IV talks expanding his comics into a horror universe with a film, animated TV show, and prequel novel.
Tyra Banks re-releasing viral ‘Modelland’ book 15 years after it failed (exclusive)
Tyra Banks exclusively reveals to EW that she’s re-releasing her ‘Modelland’ book after its viral resurgence online amid her mom’s secret health battle: ‘A deep, almost depression for me.’
How ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ found the perfect voice for Audrey II
‘Little Shop of Horrors’ casting director Margery Simkin shares the story of how she found the perfect voice for Audrey II.
Jim Bakker, disgraced 1980s televangelist, dies at 86
Jim Bakker, pioneering televangelist, dies at 86. His wife Lori made the announcement.
‘American Idol’ alum Caleb Flynn sentenced to life without parole for murdering wife
‘American Idol’ alum Caleb Flynn, who competed in season 12, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for murdering his wife Ashley as she slept in their home on Feb. 16.
Carson Daly returning for ‘TRL’ reunion special — but it’s not on MTV (exclusive)
Carson Daly will return for a ‘TRL’ reunion special recorded at the MTV Times Square studio where ‘Total Request Live’ used to air. Major surprises are in store for the Roku special.
Utah health dept. issues warning after 4 deaths linked to certain herbal supplements
Four deaths in Utah were tied to
James Gunn dispels Wonder Woman casting rumors while roasting Frank Grillo
James Gunn addressed the Adria Arjona-Wonder Woman casting rumors by roasting DC star Frank Grillo. ‘You don’t believe he doesn’t know anything? Exhibit A.’
‘The Batman Part II’ halts production as director Matt Reeves steps away for personal reasons
After years of delays, ‘The Batman Part II’ has ‘temporarily paused’ production as director Matt Reeves ‘focuses on a family matter.’
#TenYearsAgo in Health Law - Petrie-Flom Center
Since January 2026, the “10 years ago” viral trend on social media — fueled by nostalgia and literal rose-colored glasses (ok, filters) — has tried to remind us of the allegedly simpler times of 2016.
Behind the Seams | Wildwood
Go behind the scenes at LAIKA Studios for an up-close look at the extraordinary costumes of ‘Wildwood,’ the studio’s most intricately designed stop-motion film yet. Nearly 20 years after ‘Coraline,’ LAIKA’s artists and designers reveal how every tiny stitch, button and layer of fabric is handcrafted and engineered to help bring its puppets to life, combining costume design, fabrication and animation at an astonishing scale.
Lawrence brothers take on missing ’90s stars in graphic novel, ‘The Lawrence Brothers Detective Agency’
Joey Lawrence and his brothers, Matthew and Andrew, take on missing ’90s stars and nostalgia prisons in the new graphic novel, ‘The Lawrence Brothers Detective Agency.’
Research Shows These 10 Diets Are Linked to Healthier Aging
A new study found that many different diets can slow biological aging.
White House tells ‘Big Bang Theory’ creator to ‘seek psychiatric help’ after he slams Donald Trump
Chuck Lorre is the latest Hollywood legend to lock horns with the White House, which suggested via a spokesperson he ‘seek psychiatric help’ after Lorre called Donald Trump a ‘bloated orange piece of s---.’
Ethan Hawke names surprising thriller co-starring ex Uma Thurman as his breakout: ‘Changed my life’
If you ask Ethan Hawke, it wasn’t ‘Dead Poets Society’ or ‘Reality Bites’ that gave him his big break — it was this under-seen, experimental thriller from a master of indie cinema that made him a star.
Britney Spears and Natalie Portman understudied this Broadway star’s breakout role in the ’90s
Laura Bell Bundy is looking back on a pair of superstar understudies who shadowed her during her breakout performance in the off-Broadway musical ‘Ruthless!’ — Britney Spears and Natalie Portman.
Julie Bowen reveals what ‘Modern Family’ cast talks about in group chat
Julie Bowen is giving ‘Modern Family’ fans an inside look at what the cast of the beloved sitcom talk about in their hyperactive group chat: ‘We’re always chatting.’
Alan Alda opens up about Parkinson’s diagnosis: ‘I don’t want to wish it away’
Alan Alda says the first Parkinson’s symptom that he experienced ‘was not that well-known’ at the time, adding that he had ‘no twitch, no tremor’ and ‘no problems with [his] voice.’
Sylvester Stallone details ‘physical’ altercation with Richard Gere on ‘The Lords of Flatbush’ set
Sylvester Stallone recalled his on-set tension with Richard Gere during the filming of ‘The Lords of Flatbush,’ which Gere later exited.
What Amendment 3 reveals about housing and politics
As we approach the Nov. 3 midterm elections, when seemingly everything is politically filtered or turned into a line of attack, it raises the question: is housing political?
Government Business Review names Whiteside County’s Camarano Economic Development Director of the Year
Whiteside County Economic Development Director Gary Camarano, who is also the executive director of the Northwest Illinois Film Office, has been named Economic Development Director of the Year 2026 by Government Business Review.
Demi Moore reflects on controversial ‘Striptease’ pay: ‘Why should I not get equal to what I deserve?’
Demi Moore is looking back on the controversy that flared up after she became the highest-paid woman in Hollywood for ‘Striptease,’ which left her wondering, ‘Why should I not get equal to what I deserve?’
Watch Jack Osbourne go undercover to scare guests inside late dad’s tribute haunted house
Watch Jack Osbourne go undercover to scare guests inside late dad Ozzy Osbourne’s Universal Halloween Horror Nights haunted house one year after the rocker’s death.
Is the ‘Verity’ cast Team Letter or Team Manuscript? Anne Hathaway weighs in on debate
Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett explain to EW where they stand on the shocking ending of their new movie ‘Verity.’
Aaron Sorkin says ‘money does not motivate’ Jesse Eisenberg: ‘It’s infuriating’
Aaron Sorkin says he spent three days trying to convince Jesse Eisenberg to return as Mark Zuckerberg for ‘The Social Reckoning,’ but none of his arguments, including a substantial salary, made an impact on the star.
Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson were ’gnawing’ on wood for ‘Verity’ sex scene
The ‘Verity’ cast and crew broke down for Entertainment Weekly how they brought the ‘kinky’ bed frame bite marks to life for the film.
12 Best European Countries for American Retirees Seeking Great Lifestyle and Health Care
Discover the top 12 European countries ideal for American retirees that offer excellent health care, diverse lifestyles, and practical residency options.
Tyra Banks does not enjoy ‘Halloween: Resurrection’ 25 years later: ‘Not even a little bit’
Tyra Banks tells EW she does not look back fondly on making ‘Halloween: Resurrection’ nearly 25 years ago, adding that an agent wanted her to have ‘Halloween H20’ star Josh Hartnett’s career.
Studying Science in an Anti-Scientific Time
This Chronicle Review Deep Cut was first published in 2025. By Julianne Werlin Thanks for reading The Chronicle Review! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe The last two decades have not been kind to science studies. Already bruised and battered by the “science wars” of the 1990s, by the 2000s sociologists of science — who had long argued that science had to be understood in its human context — were encountering the funhouse-mirror version of their own views in right-wing critiques of climate scientists. It was enough to give some prominent scholars pause. “Was I wrong to participate in the invention of this field known as science studies?” asked Bruno Latour, the most famous sociologist of science in the world, in 2003. “Should we apologize for having been wrong all along? Or should we rather bring the sword of criticism to criticism itself and do a bit of soul-searching here: What were we really after when we were so intent on showing the social construction of scientific facts?” In response, Latour proposed a change of method and attitude. Science studies, now chastened and contrite, would no longer seek to strip facts of their authority, but to enrich and enhance them. What this meant in practice was never fully clear. But his diagnosis of problems resonated, even if his solutions did not. Latour’s exercise in public hand-wringing signaled a shift in mood. By 2016, with the first election of Donald Trump, the idea that skepticism of science was a right-wing position, not a left-wing one, had become a commonplace, discussed eagerly in The New York Times. For liberals, vaccine denial during the Covid era and Trump’s second-term attacks on the funding of scientific research, covered extensively in these pages, added a new urgency to the defense of science on both practical and principled grounds. There was little appetite for a sociology or philosophy of science that emphasized the messiness and missteps of the scientific process rather than its integrity and triumphs. The distinguished historian of science Peter Dear’s new book, The World as We Know It: From Natural Philosophy to Modern Science (Princeton University Press, 2025), which seeks to tell the story of 18th- and 19th-century science for a general public, may seem comfortably remote from these bitter contests. In its 16 short chapters, Dear draws swift, sure sketches of major discoveries from Newton to Einstein, ably guiding the reader through debates on stellar nebulae, animal taxonomy, atomic chemistry, evolution, and other flashpoints in the history of science. But though a work of history, Dear’s book must still negotiate our polarized present. In a blurb on its back cover, the historian of biology Lynn K. Nyhart alludes to the “present moment, when scientific knowledge is being swamped by misinformation and its institutions are under siege.” Dear himself, in his conclusion, refers to the “yard signs” and “bumper stickers” that proclaim “Science Is Real.” One antidote to both anti-science propaganda and to reductive slogans in science’s defense is a robust history and philosophy of science: exactly what Dear’s scholarship has long offered. But his new book illustrates how difficult such work has become. Dear, an emeritus professor of history at Cornell University, is best known as a creative and philosophically minded historian of the Scientific Revolution. His edited volume The Literary Structure of Scientific Argument (1991) analyzed the rhetoric of Galileo’s thought experiments to brilliant effect. Discipline and Experience: The Mathematical Way in the Scientific Revolution (1995) was a major contribution to the analysis of scientific experiments in early modern Europe and beyond, while Revolutionizing the Sciences: European Knowledge in Transition, 1500-1700 (2001), now in its third edition, remains one of the best overviews of the profound epistemological upheavals of 16th- and 17th-century science. But Dear has also ventured into later periods. Nearly two decades ago, in The Intelligibility of Nature: How Science Makes Sense of the World (2006), he turned to the 18th and 19th centuries to sketch a history and theory of scientific knowledge. Aimed at a generalist audience, Dear’s simple prose belied serious philosophical ambitions. Science, Dear argued, has two aspects: “natural philosophy,” the quest to understand the true nature of the universe, and “instrumentality,” the applied skills and technologies that allow us to manipulate the world for human advantage. Both strands are ancient, but the innovation of the phenomenon we call “science” was to yoke them together. As Francis Bacon wrote, “Human knowledge and human power meet in one; for where the cause is not known, the effect cannot be produced,” an insight typically abridged to “knowledge is power.” Or, in Bertrand Russell’s characteristically blunt phrase, science has two functions, “1. to enable us to know things, and 2., to enable us to do things.” So far, so conventional. But Dear took issue with this familiar story in one respect. Bacon’s formula implied that theory and practice could be fused in a single method. In fact, Dear argued, the quest to understand nature and the desire to manipulate it were coupled only loosely. They could come together, but they could also pull apart. Focusing on natural philosophy, the “knowing” half of the scientific circle, he used a series of case studies from cosmology, taxonomy, chemistry, electromagnetism, and quantum theory to show how theories changed over time, in dialogue with practice, but never reducible to it. Take the case of matter, the basic substrate of the physical world. In the 18th and 19th centuries, scientists not only disagreed about what it was, but also about how well it could be known. In 1789, the chemist Antoine Lavoisier dismissed speculation about the atomic composition of chemicals as “discussions entirely of a metaphysical nature,” as he sought to orient chemistry away from philosophical abstraction and toward laboratory results. But in the 19th century, atoms returned with a vengeance in the atomic chemistry of John Dalton, who wanted to explain the underlying structure of nature. It was not just that Dalton and Lavoisier had a different set of experimental results, or even a different theory, Dear showed. What counted as an explanation had changed. In arguing that scientific theories depended on their intelligibility to human beings with complex arrays of beliefs and commitments, Dear was in sympathy with science studies. Key figures such as the sociologist Steven Shapin emphasized the importance of psychological mechanisms like trust in the formation and acceptance of scientific ideas. But in focusing on the scientific pursuit of knowledge, not its politics or economics, Dear resisted the more cynical perspective of some of his colleagues. The Intelligibility of Nature strikes a very different note than Shapin’s collection of a few years later, Never Pure: Historical Studies of Science as If It Was Produced by People With Bodies, Situated in Time, Space, Culture, and Society, and Struggling for Credibility and Authority (2010), to name just one example. Walking a very fine line, Dear depicted science as driven at once by complex social dynamics and by the intellectual power of real discoveries. It was a testament not only to his own acumen but also to the vitality of the field that he was able to do so. Nearly two decades later, The World as We Know It returns to the questions broached in The Intelligibility of Nature. Like Dear’s earlier study, it begins with the Newtonian cosmos and ends with debates between Einstein and Bohr on quantum physics. Beyond its terminal figures, many of the same characters appear in both studies, including the naturalists John Ray and the Comte de Buffon; the chemists Étienne François Geoffroy, Antoine Lavoisier, and John Dalton; as well as Charles Darwin and Michael Faraday, among others. Its subject is nearly identical: As in The Intelligibility of Nature, The World as We Know It considers natural philosophy as opposed to instrumentality, here defined as the “desire to create a picture of what the world is really like — the world as God knows it — rather than simply having instrumental or operational control over it.” The two books also overlap in insights — and sometimes even in language. The reader who has learned in The Intelligibility of Nature that Buffon’s method of classifying animals “reflected his belief in the importance of the senses and empiricism in learning about nature (a doctrine associated with Newton and the philosopher John Locke)” will experience a sense of déjà vu on reading, in The World as We Know It, that the classification “reflects Buffon’s commitment to the epistemological stance of Newton and his philosophical underlaborer John Locke, who stressed the role of the senses in creating natural knowledge.” Later in the passage, we read that, “because of its stress on understanding the ways of life of animals in their environments, Buffon’s approach could almost be labeled (anachronistically) as ‘ecological.’” And again, “an anachronistic way of putting it would be to say that Buffon recommends an ecological mode of understanding.” Likewise, in The Intelligibility of Nature we read of Dalton that he was initially drawn to meteorology, and that: He did a bit of experimental work on these things, especially having to do with the water-holding capacity of gases, but his real interest lay in understanding what, at an underlying natural-philosophical level, was really going on physically.” Whereas, in The World as We Know It: He did experimental work on these things, especially concerning the water-holding capacity of gases — although not at a very refined level quantitatively — but he was continually trying to develop a theoretical conception of what was happening physically. The final full chapter of each book closes on the same resigned note. Intelligibility: These days, most serious work on the natural philosophical underpinnings and implications of quantum mechanics is performed not by physicists but by philosophers of science. Among scientific practitioners themselves, Bohr’s attempt to use instrumentality as sufficient grounds for a respectable science has met with a high degree of success. And again, in The World as We Know It: Bohr’s and Einstein’s concerns are now questions that are mostly discussed by philosophers of science rather than by physicists themselves. The marginalization of these sorts of questions amounts to the demise of natural philosophy, at least in physics, in the 20th century. Quantum mechanics “works,” and that’s good enough for most scientists who encounter it. Examples could be multiplied. When handling the same subject matter, some echoes are inevitable. Scholars should not feel that because they have written “Isaac Newton died in 1727” in one book, in the next they must describe him as perishing, expiring, or meeting his maker. But the repetitions of language and arguments (not to mention six reproduced images) threaded throughout The World as We Know It are more extensive than that. They should have been caught by Princeton University Press or its reviewers, and revised. Because the two books have so much in common, it is easy to see where they diverge. The World as We Know It is a less theoretical work than its predecessor. The sociology of knowledge that organized The Intelligibility of Nature has been reduced in scale and folded into readings and examples. The taut interplay between history and theory, which gave the earlier study so much interest, is there, but it is subtle. In the earlier book, the case studies demonstrated theoretical claims about the character and development of science. In the later work, each narrative of discovery is an end in itself. Insights emerge from the history, but they do not control the organization of the study. With the theory muted, it can be hard to understand the logic uniting Dear’s sprawling history of more than two centuries of scientific knowledge. The 16 brisk chapters cover an enormous amount of material. But the closer the volume edges to comprehensiveness, the more obvious the missing elements become. A chapter on “Institutions and Pedagogy,” describing the birth of the research university, illustrates the problem. Inserted roughly halfway through the book, the unnumbered chapter is designed as an “entr’acte,” in acknowledgement that it does not fit the study’s organization around scientific discoveries. Yet as Dear is well aware, no general history of the development of modern science can bracket its 19th-century institutionalization and professionalization. It was the 19th-century university, after all, that gave us the “scientist,” a term coined by the Cambridge philosopher William Whewell. Dear’s history of scientific discoveries implies a wider social and institutional history, but it remains largely subterranean, only occasionally extruded under the pressure of the narrative. It must be said that the balance is not all on the side of the earlier study. There are some advantages to the more historical, less theoretical organization of The World as We Know It. Dear’s accounts of paradigm shifts are remarkably lucid, no small accomplishment given that they span fields and centuries. He makes excellent use of the wealth of new scholarship on Darwin and his influences, to which he has himself contributed. It is satisfying to see puzzle pieces from Buffon’s natural history, Georges Cuvier’s animal taxonomy, Thomas Robert Malthus’s demography, and Charles Lyell’s geology recombined seamlessly in the Darwinian jigsaw. Likewise, Dear’s discussion of stellar nebulae, divided between chapters two and 15, shows vividly how Newton, Kant, Herschel, and Hubble reimagined insights and observations as they sought to discover whether the diffuse light that filtered through early telescopes was a glowing, gaseous substance or discrete but distant stars. Yet despite such pleasures, the book remains a more modest work than The Intelligibility of Nature. Dear has clearly not changed his views about the history of science. But in the two decades that have elapsed, the discipline and the world around it have changed, making it harder to write a sociologically and philosophically ambitious history of science for the general reader. That is a shame, because in the age of Silicon Valley and biotechnology, both the reciprocity and the tensions Dear identified between the epistemological and instrumental ambitions of science are more evident than ever. In recent years, some of the most exciting new books on the history of science in early modernity have focused precisely on this pressure point. Important studies such as Pamela H. Smith’s From Lived Experience to the Written Word (2022), James Poskett’s Horizons: The Global Origins of Modern Science (2022), and Vera Keller’s The Interlopers: Early Stuart Projects and the Undisciplining of Knowledge (2023) all shed new light on how early modern science negotiated the relationship between its instrumental and epistemological ambitions, or in Russell’s phrase, knowing and doing. There is every opportunity for a philosophically informed approach to draw new insights from this wealth of material. Dear, unfortunately, has not done so in The World as We Know It. But for future scholars of the history of science, his body of work over nearly four decades may provide just the model. Julianne Werlin is an associate professor of English at Duke University. Thanks for reading The Chronicle Review! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe
DA proposes civil commitment court during mental health symposium
Salt Lake County DA Sim Gill is proposing a civil commitment court as an alternative to jail for those suffering from a severe mental illness.
OG ‘Hocus Pocus’ cast reunites in Salem, recreates iconic scene 33 years later
Original ‘Hocus Pocus’ stars Omri Katz, Larry Bagby, and ‘Monster’ actor Tobias Jelinek reunited in Salem to recreate an iconic scene in a cemetery: ‘Did we get most of the lines?’
New name of Paramount-Warner Bros. revealed
CEO David Ellison announced that the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. will result in Skydance ahead of the official deal closure on Oct. 6.
Michael Douglas reveals secret Kathleen Turner romance after lying for 40 years
Michael Douglas reveals in his new memoir that he and ‘Romancing the Stone’ costar Kathleen Turner had a romantic relationship but lied about it for 40 years.
6 Drinks for Better Joint Health, According to a Dietitian
Joint health is essential for staying active without pain. These seven drinks provide anti-inflammatory nutrients that may help keep your joints working well.
‘Big Brother’ winner Rick Devens opens up on cutting his ‘son’ Drew at final 3
‘Big Brother’ winner Rick Devens opens up on breaking promise and cutting his ‘son’ Drew at final 3: ‘I hated going back on that, but I do believe it’s the only reason I won the game.’
Olivier Martinez granted temporary restraining order against Halle Berry after accusing her of abusing their son
Olivier Martinez has been granted a temporary restraining order against ex-wife Halle Berry. He’s accused her of abusing their 12-year-old son, Maceo.
Jason Priestley explains why he was No. 1 on the ‘90210’ call sheet: ‘Highest quotes’
Actor Jason Priestley, of ‘Beverly Hills, 90210,’ explains why he and Shannen Doherty were considered the stars of the show.
Disney president weighs in on the future of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’: ‘Very challenging’
Disney president Dana Walden weighs in on the future of Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show and late-night television as a whole.
Halle Berry’s ex Olivier Martinez accuses her of child abuse, seeks restraining order
Olivier Martinez has accused his ex, Halle Berry, of abusing their 12-year-old son Maceo, and is seeking a temporary restraining order against her.
Pat McAfee goes on wild tirade after exchange with Jason Kelce on ‘MNF’: ‘I hope you all rot’
Pat McAfee aggressively shouted down fans sticking up for former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce after McAfee playfully scolded him for using the pronoun ‘we’ when discussing the team.
Salt Lake business owner pleads guilty to laundering $17M in drug operation
A former Salt Lake County business owner pleaded guilty Wednesday to laundering more than $17 million in drug proceeds.
Chad Lowe’s 13-year-old daughter died in the hospital, new details reveal
Chad Lowe and wife Kim Painter confirmed on Sept. 29 that their 13-year-old daughter, Fiona, had died. The couple is also parents to Mabel, 17, and Nixie, 10.
Ana Navarro reacts to question about supposed rift with ‘View’ cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin (exclusive)
‘The View’ star Ana Navarro reacted to a question about a supposed rift with cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump staffer whom Navarro isn’t following on Instagram and has clashed with on air.
‘Survivor 51’ star Ana Sani had unaired ‘crashout’ after popcorn-gate
‘Survivor 51’ star Ana Sani had unaired ‘crashout’ after popcorn-gate: ‘Thankfully, they didn’t show that, but I lost my mind.’
Chad Lowe’s father remembers granddaughter Fiona after her death at 13
Chad Lowe’s father Chuck shared a tribute on social media following the death of his 13-year-old granddaughter Fiona.
Alix Earle boldly proclaims she’s ‘never read a book’
Influencer Alix Earle was asked about the last book she read, to which she replied she’s ‘never read a book.’
Mark Ruffalo blasts Paramount–Warner Bros. merger after judge approves settlement
Mark Ruffalo decries the recently approved Paramount–Warner Bros. mega-merger as an ‘incredibly disappointing outcome’ that will ‘weaken free speech, and cost people their jobs.’
New ‘DWTS’ pro shocks fans by announcing relationship with fellow ‘DWTS: The Next Pro’ contestant
Babe, wake up: a new ‘DWTS’ super-couple just dropped. New pro Adele Zaikman and her ‘The Next Pro’ spinoff competitor, Allen Genkin, have confirmed all the rumors of their romance.
Jeff Probst says ‘Survivor 51’ player trying to vote himself out ‘makes no sense’
Jeff Probst weighs in on ‘Survivor 51’ player trying to vote himself out: ‘What was he thinking?’
‘Survivor 51’ recap: A historic moment leads to an epic blunder
A historic moment on ‘Survivor 51’ leads to an epic blunder as one player attempts for showy valor, but ends up with unintentional comedy instead. Read EW’s recap.
Pete Davidson details his daily drug use before checking into rehab: ‘It got scary because I didn’t feel high’
Pete Davidson says he was doing acid, whippets, and ketamine while eating pills ‘every day’ at the height of his addiction, before checking into rehab after an emotional confrontation with his mother.
The 25 best scary movies for streaming and screaming
It’s okay to leave the lights on. ‘Carnival of Souls,’ ‘Night of the Living Dead,’ and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ may be decades old, but they still deliver the scares. See EW’s picks for the best scary movies streaming now.
Mario Lopez reacts to Tiffani Thiessen saying ‘Saved by the Bell’ cast’s residuals are ‘negative’ now
Mario Lopez empathized with his ‘Saved by the Bell’ costar Tiffani Thiessen, who said her residuals from the teen sitcom were ‘negative’ at this point.
Surprise Connor Storrie, Hudson Williams appearance supports ‘Heated Rivalry’-inspired charity
Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams make a surprise appearance to support a ‘Heated Rivalry’-inspired charity.