Briefly outline the features of 'big science'. What is the significance of the Manhattan Project in understanding the development of 'big science'?

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This essay will explore the varied criteria attached to the definition of Big Science. With such a vast array of opinions on the subject, an attempt will be made to simplify and rationalise a specific definition. Examples of The Manhattan Project and the research conducted at CERN will be investigated to this end, and the former will be examined for its perceived effect on Big Science.

It will be argued that Big Science is simply the industrialisation of Little Science, and that the differences between the two are a matter of scale and resources rather than a complete change of paradigm.

What is Big Science?

In order to discuss the development of Big Science it would be logical to have a precise definition, but the definition is under much debate. Capshew and Rader describe Big Science using a set of five fundamental features. (Capshew & Rader, 1992, p. 4)

• Money: The large amount of capital required, generally provided by large corporations or national governments.

• Manpower: The substantial number of researchers and experts employed to complete the project.

• Machines: The complex and expensive machines required to carry out the research.

• Military: The directorial, and sometimes monetary, involvement of defence organisations in research.

• Media: Research programmes are considered important enough that they are covered extensively by mass-media organisations. Public awareness and support of projects is also important for securing funding in many cases.

In line with the theme of these criteria, it has been asserted that Big Science is simply science on a large scale. Alvin Weinberg, creator of the term "Big Science", defined it in this way. (Capshew & Rader, 1992, p. 5) Large-scale projects such as Diderot's Encyc...

... middle of paper ...

... growth of the public understanding of science, and this has been followed by a greater appreciation and interest in scientific research.

Works Cited
Capshew, J. H., & Rader, K. A. (1992). Big Science: Price to the Present. Osiris, 7, 3-25.

CERN - The European Organisation for Nuclear Research. Retrieved 16 Feb, 2010, from http://www.cern.ch/

Hughes, J. (2003). The Manhattan Project : big science and the atom bomb. Cambridge: Icon.

Hughes, T. P. (2004). American genesis : a century of invention and technological enthusiasm, 1870-1970 (New ed.). Chicago, Ill. ; London: University of Chicago Press.

Kelly, C. C. (2006). Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project : insights into J. Robert Oppenheimer, "Father of the atomic bomb". Hackensack, N.J. ; London: World Scientific.

Krige, J., & Pestre, D. (1997). Science in the twentieth century. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic.

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