How does science work? Making Truth: Metaphor in Science argues that most laypeople, and many scientists, do not have a clear understanding of how metaphor relates to scientific thinking. With stunning clarity, and bridging the worlds of scientists and nonscientists, Theodore L. Brown demonstrates the presence and the power of metaphorical thought.

To illustrate the roles of metaphor in science, Brown presents a series of studies of scientific systems. These range from the atom, historically one of the most important ideas in science, through models in chemistry and biology, including current “hot” topics such as protein folding, chaperone proteins, and global warming. The case studies in Making Truth illustrate the deeply metaphorical nature of scientific reasoning and communication. They provide the basis for far-reaching conclusions about science as an intellectual and social practice and about the nature of scientific truth.

Preface   ix

1. Scientific Thought and Practice   1
2. Introduction to Metaphor   14
3. The Theory of Conceptual Metaphor   31
4. The Classical Atom   53
5. The Modern Atom   74
6. Molecular Models in Chemistry and Biology   100
7. Protein Folding   122
8. Cellular-Level Metaphors   146
9. Global Warming   160
10. Science's Metaphorical Foundations: The Social in Science   183

Notes   197
Index   211