Non-verbal knowledge in the history of science: The prowess of César Lattes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/s0103-4014.2023.37107.015Keywords:
César Lattes, Mesons, Scientific practice, Ludwik Fleck, Tacit knowledgeAbstract
The Brazilian physicist César Lattes was for a leading figure in experimental observations of the decay of pi mesons into mi mesons between 1946 and 1948. Part of this process derived from the development of the visual ability to perceive the shapes of traces left by the particles in the detectors. Lattes learned to “see” the tracks left by mesons from their differences vis-à-vis other particles. I will present the non-verbal dimension of scientific practice by discussing ideas from various authors, article drafts and laboratory records left by Lattes. The aim is to understand the role of non-verbalized knowledge in the observation of mesons and how Lattes understood his own practice.
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