Sinposis

HOW DO NOVEL SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS ARISE? IN CREATING SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS, NANCY NERSESSIAN SEEKS TO ANSWER THIS CENTRAL BUT VIRTUALLY UNASKED QUESTION IN THE PROBLEM OF CONCEPTUAL CHANGE. SHE ARGUES THAT THE POPULAR IMAGE OF NOVEL CONCEPTS AND PROFOUND INSIGHT BURSTING FORTH IN A BLINDING FLASH OF INSPIRATION IS MISTAKEN. INSTEAD, NOVEL CONCEPTS ARE SHOWN TO ARISE OUT OF THE INTERPLAY OF THREE FACTORS: AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS; THE USE OF CONCEPTUAL, ANALYTICAL, AND MATERIAL RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE COGNITIVE-SOCIAL-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM; AND DYNAMIC PROCESSES OF REASONING THAT EXTEND ORDINARY COGNITION.