4 LABORATORY LIFE.
Scientists in general, soften undetstood only in sort of magical or
iystical way
Even if we do not agree with the details of this book, or if we find it
slightly uncomfortable or even painful in places, the present work
seems to me tobe a step inthe right digection toward dissipating the
mystery that i Believed to surround our activity. I fel certain that in
the future many institutes and laboratories may well include kind of
house philosopher or sociologist. For myself, it was interesting to
have Bruno Latour in ou institut, which allowed him to carry out the
first investigation of this kind of which Tam aware and, most
interestingly to have observed the way in which he, and his eproach,
was transformed by the experience. It would be very useful for this
critique itself to be criticized, This would both help the authors (and
‘other scholars wth similar interests and background) toasts scientists
(o understand themselves through the mirror provided, and help a
wider public understand the seientife pursuit from anew and diferent
and rather seeshing point of view.
—Honas Salk, M.D.
La Jolla, California
February 1979
Brune Labor and Steve Weel
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Chapter 1
FROM ORDER TO DISORDER
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