Peter Barker – författare

Thomas Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions became the most widely read book about science in the twentieth century. His terms 'paradigm' and 'scientific revolution' entered everyday speech, but they remain controversial. In the second half of the twentieth century, the new field of cognitive science combined empirical psychology, computer science, and neuroscience. In this book, the theories of concepts developed by cognitive scientists are used to evaluate and extend Kuhn's most influential ideas. Based on case studies of the Copernican revolution, the discovery of nuclear fission, and an elaboration of Kuhn's famous 'ducks and geese' example of concept learning, this volume, first published in 2006, offers accounts of the nature of normal and revolutionary science, the function of anomalies, and the nature of incommensurability.

This volume presents new work in history and historiography to the increasingly broad audience for studies of the history and philosophy of science. These essays are linked by a concern to understand the context of early modern science in its own context. The papers presented in this volume form four goups. The first two essays address historiographical questions concerning the role of institutions such as universities and scientific academies in the founding of modern science. Mordecahi Feingold substantially qualifies the thesis that universities were the centers of resistance to the new science. David Lux examines the pervasive influence of Martha Ornstein's work concerning 17th-century scientific societies. The second group of essays extends the range of historical studies into generally neglected areas of science. Harold Cook's essay provides an entry into a range of issues connecting medicine and other sciences. Roger Ariew's paper reminds us that astronomy and physics were by no means the exclusive interests of those now remembered as founders of modern physics. The third section of essays is in more traditional areas of interest to historicans and philosophers of science but offers distinctly novel conclusions. Alan Gabbey provides the first modern treatment of a central problem in heliocentric astronomy and cosmology - the nature of the moon's motion. Jospeh Pitt offers a unique picture of the relationship between Bellarmine and Galileo. Bernard Goldstein punctures one of the great myths of the Copernican revolution: Alfonso of Castile's supposed dissatisfaction with the Ptolemaic tradition. Finally, the last group presents papers on early modern mathematics. Francois de Gandt examines Cavalieri's mathematical practice during the period of the development of calculus. Emily Grosholz considers the mathematical practice of Descartes and demonstrates that Descartes' own mathematical ideals were an impediment to the full utilization of the mathematical resources exploited by his successors.

Product Design for Students covers the basic concepts and processes intrinsic to professional industrial product design: from the initial design concept through design for manufacture, sustainable production, distribution, marketing and recycling of the product at the end of its life. User research, concept generation techniques, design process methodologies, the use of design thinking, user-centred design and co-design, design for sustainable production, materials and manufacturing process selection, quality control, design for recycling, marketing and distribution are all covered at an introductory level. Case studies and examples from transport design, consumer product design and service design projects are all included in this book.Product design is for anyone with sufficient interest, from beginners to advanced students. No background knowledge is necessary to engage with this exciting book. It serves as an introduction to the subject for those who might be looking to make a career as a product designer or who need to understand the profession as a career advisor or on a collaborative and managerial basis.

Product Design for Students covers the basic concepts and processes intrinsic to professional industrial product design: from the initial design concept through design for manufacture, sustainable production, distribution, marketing and recycling of the product at the end of its life. User research, concept generation techniques, design process methodologies, the use of design thinking, user-centred design and co-design, design for sustainable production, materials and manufacturing process selection, quality control, design for recycling, marketing and distribution are all covered at an introductory level. Case studies and examples from transport design, consumer product design and service design projects are all included in this book.Product design is for anyone with sufficient interest, from beginners to advanced students. No background knowledge is necessary to engage with this exciting book. It serves as an introduction to the subject for those who might be looking to make a career as a product designer or who need to understand the profession as a career advisor or on a collaborative and managerial basis.

Thomas Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions became the most widely read book about science in the twentieth century. His terms 'paradigm' and 'scientific revolution' entered everyday speech, but they remain controversial. In the second half of the twentieth century, the new field of cognitive science combined empirical psychology, computer science, and neuroscience. In this book, the theories of concepts developed by cognitive scientists are used to evaluate and extend Kuhn's most influential ideas. Based on case studies of the Copernican revolution, the discovery of nuclear fission, and an elaboration of Kuhn's famous 'ducks and geese' example of concept learning, this volume, first published in 2006, offers accounts of the nature of normal and revolutionary science, the function of anomalies, and the nature of incommensurability.

From its launch on 20 September 1961 the Mini Cooper caused a sensation. The world’s first sports saloon, the diminutive Cooper combined the glamour and racing heritage of 1959 and 1960 Formula 1 champions the Cooper Car Company with the outstanding handling and downright practicability of the Austin Mini Seven and Morris Mini Minor. Alec Issigonis’s little people’s car had been launched by the manufacturer, the British Motor Corporation (BMC), two years earlier. A winner almost from the word go, the Mini Cooper not only ruled the racetracks and rally stages of the early and mid-1960s but proved to be a practical and fun sporting family saloon car. After over 100,000 examples were sold between 1961 and 1971, the Mini Cooper is still a practical sporting saloon in the guise of the BMW-owned MINI Cooper sixty years after the introduction of the original model.This remarkable product of the United Kingdom merits a fresh examination as it nears its sixtieth birthday. Based upon over fifty face-to-face interviews carried out by the author over more than a decade, this book quotes the Mini Cooper’s designers, developers, and professional race and rally drivers plus a host of contemporary owners.

When it was launched in 1959, the Mini stunned the world with its ingenious compact design. In this book, Mini expert and fan Peter Barker gives the full account of the classic Mini through the decades, from the 1950s to the millennium. Drawing on interviews with the original designers and engineers, he provides the inside story of how the Mini was developed. From the 1960s when the Mini became a cultural icon, boosted by its starring role in the film The Italian Job, through the sensible 70s, when the Mk 3 was launched as well as the Mini Clubman and 1275 GT, to the 80s and 90s, with the launch of the Mk 4, when the Mini was still a cool choice as well as an economic one. After the millennium, the classic Mini’s spirit would live on in the all-new BMW MINI.Featuring unique contemporary material and accompanied by both archive photography and images from the author’s own forty-year collection, this book is an essential and fitting tribute to one of Britain’s most famous and best-loved cars.

When it was launched in 1962, to replace the MGA, the MGB was an instant success. Designed to be an affordable sports car for ordinary people, it also set new standards with its monocoque safety-first bodyshell. In this book, motoring expert Peter Barker brings together the experiences of owners and drivers, along with new insights b the MGB’s creators and designers, to create a new and revealing picture of this much-loved car.The book covers the various MGB models, including soft-top and hatchback, the engines from four-cylinder through six-cylinder and V8, as well as the design modifications over the years, including the major changes required by the US market. The book also describes the MGB’s success in motorsport.Including a wide range of archive and colour photographs and including tips on owning and driving a classic MGB, as well as information on specialist parts suppliers, this is an essential all-round guide to the ever-popular MGB.