John Couch Adams's Asperger syndrome and the British non-discovery of Neptune
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20315604 |
|---|---|
| Authors | William Sheehan (1815 Wisconsin Avenue, Benson, MN 56215, USA 1), Steven Thurber (1125 SE Sixth Street, Willmar, MN 56201, USA 2, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2007 |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 285-299 |
| Publication date | 2007-09-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Notes and Records the Royal Society Journal of the History of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0035-9149 • E-ISSN: 1743-0178 |
| Publisher | The Royal Society (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1098/rsnr.2007.0187 |
| OpenAlex | W2171610268 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 2 |
We discuss the mathematical acumen of John Couch Adams together with cognitive and behavioural characteristics that suggest Asperger syndrome. We also review the historical events involved in the investigation of the unknown planet thought to be affecting the orbital motion of Uranus. Adams produced a vital computation necessary for the discovery of Neptune that was insufficient unless integrated with specialized knowledge of other members of a British ‘team’ and then presented formally to the scientific community. Reasoning from the premise that complex scientific discoveries often involve cooperative social dynamics, we conclude that Adams was precluded from sharing his contribution in a collaborative manner, in part, because of empathic and social communication deficiencies related to his disorder. However, it was a ‘team’ failure, not Adams's alone
Asperger syndrome · Astronomy · Autism · Cognitive science · Epistemology · Neptune · Planet · Premise · Psychiatry · Psychoanalysis · Scientific discovery · Sociology · Uranus · Child and Animal Learning Development · Language and cultural evolution · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science · Psychology
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,08 |
| Citation span | 2014 - 2014 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |