Supervisors info:
Αραμπατζής Θεόδωρος, Καθηγητής (επιβλέπων), Τμήμα ΙΦΕ, ΕΚΠΑ
Βλαντώνη Αικατερίνη, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα ΙΦΕ, ΕΚΠΑ
Ιωαννίδης Σταύρος, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Τμήμα ΙΦΕ, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
The term Big Science was initially used for a particular kind of science characterised by high finance, large scientific instruments, numerous personnel, and a strong interaction with the social and political status quo of its era. The initial case in point of Big Science is Manhattan Project, where physics underwent a significant and unprecedented enlargement. Later, as other scientific fields, such as biology, faced enlargement as well, some of the above-mentioned characteristics remained constant, while others, such as the organizational infrastructure and the scientific equipment that was used , were very different. In this dissertation, it is examined whether Big Science has permanent characteristics regardless of which scientific field or era is under consideration. In addition, Human Brain Project (HBP), an example of european Big Neuroscience, is presented as a case study. HBP was created to counteract the economic crisis that plagued Europe, a fact that implies a strong interaction between itself and both the financial and political needs of the continent. Furthermore, the controversy that marked its course and its outcome raise questions, such as whether HBP can be characterized as a successful program or whether its final goal, the construction, that is, of a model of the entire human brain, was considered as a realistic endeavour.
Keywords:
Big Science, Human Brain Project (HBP), Neuroscience, Big Neuroscience
