Harry Collins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry Collins
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Collins at a STS workshop in 2010
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| Born | 13 June 1943 United Kingdom
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| Occupation | Sociologist |
| Known for | Bath School, Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK) |
Harry Collins, FBA FLSW (born June 13, 1943), is a British sociologist of science. A sociologist studies how people behave in groups and how societies work. Professor Collins is known for his work on the sociology of science. This field looks at how science is done and how scientific knowledge is created by people working together. He teaches at the School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, in Wales. In 2012, he became a Fellow of the British Academy. In 2013, he was also chosen as a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. These are important groups that recognize top experts in different fields.
Contents
Understanding Science and Society
Professor Collins worked at the University of Bath. While there, he helped create a special way of studying the sociology of scientific knowledge. This approach is often called the "Bath School."
How Scientists Work
In his book Changing Order: Replication and Induction in Scientific Practice, Collins shares his ideas about the sociology of science. He looked at the ideas of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Collins wanted to understand how scientists follow rules and patterns when they do experiments. He also explored how they carry out their scientific work.
Studying Gravitational Waves
For over 30 years, Professor Collins has written about the sociology of gravitational wave physics. Gravitational waves are like ripples in space and time. Scientists try to find them using very sensitive equipment.
Collins has shown how scientific information can be understood in different ways. He also explored how social reasons, not just scientific ones, can sometimes help end arguments among scientists. These arguments are called scientific controversies.
Science and the Public
In the early 2000s, Collins worked with Dr. Robert Evans from Cardiff University. They wrote about what they call the "Third Wave of Science Studies." A key idea they explored is "interactional expertise." This idea helps us understand how people can gain enough knowledge to talk about a scientific topic, even if they are not experts themselves.
Their work also looks at how the public can be involved in important scientific decisions. They continue to research and write about these topics.
Selected Works
Books
- Big Dog is one of Collins' books. It was published as part of the paperback version of Gravity's Ghost in 2011. This book explores the LIGO experiment, which is designed to detect gravitational waves.
