Believing in the ESS: Scale, vision, and Pioneering
(2013) p.187-203- Abstract
- Max Liljefors, Art History and Visual Studies
Technologization of Vision, Visualization of knowledge: The Role of “The Visual” in Conceptualizing ESS.
ESS is popularly described as a gigantic microscope, which will use neutrons instead of ordinary light to let us see inside matter on the subatomic level. Other metaphors also foreground vision: “Seeing with neutron eyes”, and “Neutrons give the big picture” are examples from information brochures.
This emphasis on vision is typical of what the philosopher of science Don Ihde calls the visualism in science today, i.e. the tendency to represent data in pictures rather than in text or numbers. However, “visualization” means something... (More) - Max Liljefors, Art History and Visual Studies
Technologization of Vision, Visualization of knowledge: The Role of “The Visual” in Conceptualizing ESS.
ESS is popularly described as a gigantic microscope, which will use neutrons instead of ordinary light to let us see inside matter on the subatomic level. Other metaphors also foreground vision: “Seeing with neutron eyes”, and “Neutrons give the big picture” are examples from information brochures.
This emphasis on vision is typical of what the philosopher of science Don Ihde calls the visualism in science today, i.e. the tendency to represent data in pictures rather than in text or numbers. However, “visualization” means something else in techno-scientific contexts like ESS than in everyday life. Rarely is it about uncovering things in their “natural appearance”, since particles imperceptible by human vision do not, by nature, “appear” at all. Instead complex instruments and software produce statistical maps that represent reality according to very different principles than ordinary photographs. Nonetheless, ESS is commonly understood to be about “seeing”.
My project examines how “the visual” is mobilized, in texts and in pictures, to bridge the divide between technoscience and the general public, and to inscribe cultural meaning onto the inner structure of matter. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3633216
- author
- Liljefors, Max LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2013
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- visual culture, scientific visualizations, science communication, ESS
- host publication
- Legitimizing ESS. Big Science as a Collaboration Across Boundaries.
- editor
- Kaiserfeld, Thomas and O'Dell, Tom
- pages
- 187 - 203
- publisher
- Nordic Academic Press
- ISBN
- 978-91-87351-10-5
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 3a7d0cb3-4d74-43a6-b75a-3565d8168bd9 (old id 3633216)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 12:12:13
- date last changed
- 2018-12-18 16:07:44
@inbook{3a7d0cb3-4d74-43a6-b75a-3565d8168bd9,
abstract = {{Max Liljefors, Art History and Visual Studies<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Technologization of Vision, Visualization of knowledge: The Role of “The Visual” in Conceptualizing ESS.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
ESS is popularly described as a gigantic microscope, which will use neutrons instead of ordinary light to let us see inside matter on the subatomic level. Other metaphors also foreground vision: “Seeing with neutron eyes”, and “Neutrons give the big picture” are examples from information brochures.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
This emphasis on vision is typical of what the philosopher of science Don Ihde calls the visualism in science today, i.e. the tendency to represent data in pictures rather than in text or numbers. However, “visualization” means something else in techno-scientific contexts like ESS than in everyday life. Rarely is it about uncovering things in their “natural appearance”, since particles imperceptible by human vision do not, by nature, “appear” at all. Instead complex instruments and software produce statistical maps that represent reality according to very different principles than ordinary photographs. Nonetheless, ESS is commonly understood to be about “seeing”. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
My project examines how “the visual” is mobilized, in texts and in pictures, to bridge the divide between technoscience and the general public, and to inscribe cultural meaning onto the inner structure of matter.}},
author = {{Liljefors, Max}},
booktitle = {{Legitimizing ESS. Big Science as a Collaboration Across Boundaries.}},
editor = {{Kaiserfeld, Thomas and O'Dell, Tom}},
isbn = {{978-91-87351-10-5}},
keywords = {{visual culture; scientific visualizations; science communication; ESS}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{187--203}},
publisher = {{Nordic Academic Press}},
title = {{Believing in the ESS: Scale, vision, and Pioneering}},
year = {{2013}},
}