The history of precision technology may seem a small, specialised subject, concerned with the development of such mundane, even banal objects as sun-dials, sand-glasses, clocks or rulers and other measuring instruments. Yet their development, as the author holds, has helped condition how we relate to the natural world and is therefore a key aspect of cultural history. For many classes of instruments there are still no basic narrative accounts of their internal evolution, and a number of these studies represent an effort towards fulfilling that need. In others, starting with an object or an object and its maker, the author asks what did it do, and then who wanted it to do it and why, penetrating into the more general social context. In time the studies range from Antiquity to the 19th century, but the emphasis is on the period from the 16th century onwards.L'histoire de la technologie de précision peut paraître comme étant un sujet spécialisé de moindre importance, se rapportant au développment d'objets quelconque, voire banals, tels les cadrans solaires, les sabliers, les horloges, les règles et autres instruments de mesure. D'après l'auteur, leur développement a cependant contribué à déterminer la façon dont nous nous rapportons au monde naturel et fait de ceux-ci l'un des aspects à la clef de notre histoire culturelle. Pour un bon nombre de catégories d'instruments, il n'existe toujours pas de relation de base concernant leur évolution interne; un effort a été accompli au travers de certaines des études contenues dans ce recueil, afin de combler cette lacune. Dans d'autres, l'auteur, débutant par un objet seul, ou bien encore un objet et son créateur, pose la question de savoir ce à quoi celui-ci servait, à qui il était destiné à servir et pourquoi, pénétrant ainsi dans un contexte social plus généralisé. Du point de vue de la chronologie, les études partent de l'Antiquité et vont jusqu'au 19e siècle, l'accent étant surtout mis à partir du 16e siècle.

This book reviews the considerable body of research that has been done to evaluate the touch skills of blind people. With an emphasis on cognitive and neuroscientific approaches, it encompasses a wide-ranging discussion of the theoretical issues in the field of touch perception and blindness. The volume includes chapters on sensory aspects of touch, perception in blind individuals, multimodal relations and their implications for instruction and development, and new technology, including sensory aids and virtual touch. A distinctive feature of the book is the inclusion of the practical applications of research in this area. A significant characteristic of research on touch and imagery in congenitally blind individuals is that it speaks to the basic nature of spatial imagery and the importance and necessity -- or lack thereof -- of specific visual sensory experience for the acquisition of knowledge about space, spatial layout, and picture perception. As such, the book will not only appeal to researchers and professionals with an interest in touch and blindness, but also to a wider audience of cognitive psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists working in the field of perception.

The present volume is organised around two symposia of the XXth International Congress of History of Science, respectively devoted to the history of sundials and to the national inventories of scientific instruments. Separate studies on outstanding instruments, instrument-makers, as well as unknown museums and collections in Spain, Italy, Estonia, and Latin-America were also included.