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might well be killed in its cradle. What are the factors that determine the fate of a
new theory? Is there any conclusive evidence? Are there in fact patterns in the world
of science and technology that can make us wiser? Let us take a look at some of the
widely known and long-lasting debates in the history of science.
Remember, Kuhn's paradigm theory focuses on puzzle-solving problems. In this
topic, we aim to describe a broad range of theories, methodologies, and examples
that can contribute to our knowledge of how to better capture the dynamics of the
creation of scientific knowledge. We will demonstrate our work in citation-based
approaches to knowledge domain visualization and present in-depth analysis of
several puzzle-solving cases, in particular, including debates between competing
theories on the causes of dinosaurs' extinctions, the power sources of active galactic
nuclei, and the connections between mad cow disease and a new variant of human
brain disease.
1.3.2.1
Dinosaurs' Extinctions
Five mass extinctions have occurred in the past 500 million years on earth,
including the greatest ever Permian-Triassic extinction 248 million years ago and
the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction 65 million years ago, which wiped out the
dinosaurs among many other species. The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction, also
known as the KT extinction, has been the topic of intensive debates over the last
20 years, involving over 80 theories of what caused the mass extinction of dinosaurs.
Paleontologists, geologists, physicists, astronomers, nuclear chemists, and many
others are all involved. We will use our visualization techniques to reveal the process
of this debate.
1.3.2.2
Super-Massive Black Holes
Albert Einstein predicted the existence of black holes in the universe. By their virtual
nature, we cannot see black holes directly, even if a real one falls into the scope of
our telescope. Astronomers are puzzled by the gravitational power from the centers
of galaxies. If our theories are correct, the existence of heavyweight black holes
is among the few explanations. Astronomers have been collecting evidence with
increasingly powerful telescopes. In this case, we will analyze the impact of such
evidence on the acceptance of a particular paradigm.
1.3.2.3
BSE and vCJD
The 1997 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded to Stanley Prusiner,
professor of neurology, virology, and biochemistry, for his discovery of prions - an
abnormal form of a protein responsible for diseases such as scrapie in sheep, Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle - also known as mad cow disease,
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