The Atomic Scientists, the Sense of Wonder and the Bomb

Stigma in science: the case of earthquake prediction

“…The dynamic interplay of cognitive and emotive processes is well‐established in psychology (see, for example, Epstein, ; Joffe and Elsey, ). This research corroborates previous studies of scientific activity (see, for example, Barnes, Bloor, and Henry, ; Holton, ; Latour and Woolgar, ; Fiege, ) in highlighting that it is not just lay people but also scientists who operate by way of a complex intermingling of emotion and rationality. Most discussion of stigma vis‐à‐vis scientific topics has concentrated on biases held by the general public, such as in relation to politically controversial subjects like genetically modified food (see, for example, Finucane and Holup, ).…”

“…It seems self‐evident that scientists experience emotion while conducting their research: dejection, enthusiasm, frustration, and inspiration are common characteristics of cultural narratives of the scientific process. Historical and anthropological research underlines the importance of affective rewards, such as awe or excitement, in motivating and sustaining scientific labour (Brown, ; Fiege, ). Holton () attributes the emotional valence of scientific activity to a finding's correspondence with a scientist's ‘thematic presuppositions’: implicit, emotionally‐infused convictions about nature and the world.…”

Researching Militarized Landscapes: A Literature Review on War and the Militarization of the Environment

“…7. Mark Fiege (2007) shows how walking and climbing in the mountainous landscape around Los Alamos inspired and motivated the scientists to develop the atomic bomb during the Second World War. The relationship between the environment and military scientists and engineers also deserves greater exploration.…”

Evolution and Providence: Discovering Creation asCarmen Dei

“…22 Wonder is in many cases the strongest motivation for scientists to investigate the natural world, whether they are believers or not. 23 Scientists who espouse metaphysical naturalism or atheism may also be filled with wonder. Dawkins himself wrote Unweaving the Rainbow to show the importance of awed wonder that science gives the scientist.…”