Reveals the different ways that living creatures have been - and still are - used in scientific discovery.
Packed with fascinating vignettes from the rich history of 500 years of science.
The stories are by no means confined to the traditional idea of the laboratory, nor are the subjects exclusively animals and plants: we range from the streets of Paris to the Galapagos Islands, and read of artificial life, and scientists who experimented on themselves.
Sheds light on many issues in the practice and philosophy of science - as Harré redefines traditional ideas of apparatus, instrumentation, and the `bricks and mortar` laboratory.
Leaves the ethical issues entirely to the reader to reflect upon.
Written by a widely respected philosopher of science.
Looks at many recent examples from modern science, such as the famous `Vacanti Mouse`.
From the sheep, dog, and cockerel that were sent aloft in Montgolfier`s balloon, to Galvani`s frog`s legs, Dolly the Sheep, the finches of the Galapagos, and even imaginary cats and simulated life forms, Pavlov`s Dogs and Schrödinger`s Cat explores the fascinating history of the role of living things in science.

Contents:
Part I: Instruments
1: Experimenting
2: Detecting
3: Measuring
Part II: Apparatus and the Logic of Experimentation
4: Exploring a New Domain
5: Extending an Established Domain
6: Testing Hypotheses
Part III: Models and Modeling
7: Modelling Individuals
8: Modelling Worlds
Part IV: Fakes and Fantasies
9: Practising Deception
10: Imagining Novel Beings
Index


The ways in which animals and plants have been used in science has always been a matter for considerable public debate, and this book provides an important and fascinating new perspective, setting aside moral reflection to simply examine the history of how and why living creatures have been used for the purposes of scientific discovery. Many extraordinary stories are uncovered throughout five centuries of science - tales of the people involved, curious incidents and episodes, and the occasional scientific fraud too, as clear reflections on the history and philosophy of science are combined with remarkable accounts from the living laboratory.