Explorer of metaphor and science to speak Sept. 26

Theodore Brown, a University of Illinois emeritus professor of chemistry whose explorations of metaphor and the nature of scientific truth have stirred controversy in the scientific community, will speak at a UW–Madison colloquium Sept. 26.

According to Brown, the use of metaphors is essential in interpreting observations, formulating and testing new hypotheses and in communications between scientists and the public.

Brown will touch on the thesis of his new book, Making Truth: Metaphor in Science, which examines the scientific search for ‘objective truth’ and the human and social context in which it occurs – a context that some philosophers and sociologists argue influences how science gets done. Brown offers arguments that seem to bridge the gap between these conflicting views of culture’s role in science.

The colloquium, sponsored by the UW–Madison chemistry department and the Wisconsin Initiative for Science Literacy, is free and open to the public. It will be held at 3:30 p.m. in Room 1315 of the Chemistry Building, 1101 University Ave.