Critiques of Big Science

Martin, Joseph D.

Critiques of Big Science

Martin, Joseph D.

Authors

Dr Joseph Martin joseph.d.martin@durham.ac.uk
Associate Professor

Contributors

Panagiotis Charitos
Editor

Theodore Arabatzis
Editor

Harry Cliff
Editor

Günther Dissertori
Editor

Juliette Forneris
Editor

Jason Li-Ying
Editor

Abstract

The name “big science,” like “big bang” or “big pharma,” began as a slur. Big science, that is, has been the subject of critique for at least as long as we have had a name for it. This chapter explores that legacy. It demonstrates how big science became pivot point in disagreements over the social and cultural value of scientific inquiry, how those debates exposed disciplinary rivalries and jealousies, and how debates about the merits of big science within the science community translated into the world of policymaking, in particular as big science became megascience toward the end of the twentieth century.

Citation

Martin, J. D. (2023). Critiques of Big Science. In P. Charitos, T. Arabatzis, H. Cliff, G. Dissertori, J. Forneris, & J. Li-Ying (Eds.), Big Science in the 21st Century: Economic and Societal Impacts. IOP Publishing

Acceptance Date	Aug 18, 2021
Online Publication Date	Sep 30, 2023
Publication Date	2023
Deposit Date	Aug 19, 2021
Publisher	IOP Publishing
Book Title	Big Science in the 21st Century: Economic and Societal Impacts
Chapter Number	7
ISBN	9780750336291
Public URL	https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1624928
Publisher URL	https://iopscience.iop.org/bookList