History Commons^™

On The Logic, Method And Scientific Diversity Of Technical Systems: An Inquiry Into The Diagnostic Measurement Of Human Skin, Joel Beatty

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation explores some of the scientific, technical and cultural history of human skin measurement and diagnostics. Through a significant collection of primary texts and case studies, I track the changing technologies and methods used to measure skin, as well as the scientific and sociotechnical applications. I then map these histories onto some of the diverse understandings of the human body, physics, biology, natural philosophy and language that underpinned the scientific enterprise of skin measurement. The main argument of my thesis demonstrates how these diverse histories of science historically and theoretically inform the succeeding methods and applications for skin measurement …