In the widely discussed first volume in the Golem series, The
Golem: What You Should Know About Science, Harry Colllins and
Trevor Pinch likened science to the Golem, a creature from Jewish
mythology, a powerful creature which, while not evil, can be
dangerous because it is clumsy. In this second volume, the authors
now consider the Golem of technology. In a series of case studies
they demonstrate that the imperfections in technology are related
to the uncertainties in science. The case studies cover the role of
the Patriot anti-missile missile in the Gulf War, the Challenger
space shuttle explosion, tests of nuclear fuel flasks and of
anti-misting kerosene as a fuel for airplanes, economic modeling,
the question of the origins of oil, analysis of the Chernobyl
nuclear disaster, and the contribution of lay expertise to the
analysis of treatments for AIDS. Anyone who views technology with a
wary eye will love The Golem at Large. Harry Collins is Professor
of Sociology at Cardiff University and Director for the Study of
Knowledge Expertise and Science at the University of Wales. His
other books include the forthcoming The One Culture (University of
Chicago Press, 2001) and (with M. Kusch) The Shape of Actions (MIT,
1998). nTrevor Pinch is a founding member of the Department of
Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University, where he is
now chair. He is co-editor (with Wiebe E. Bijker) of The Social
Construction of Technological Systems (MIT, 1989).
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