• Science as a Social Construct: Both Stephenson and Bruno Latour (philosopher) reject the idea that science exists in isolation as an objective, neutral entity. They argue that science is deeply influenced by the political, cultural, emotional, and religious contexts of its time. In Stephenson's writing, such as in An Experiment with an Air Pump, science is not portrayed as a separate discipline, but as one that reflects the broader societal consciousness of a given period.
• Latour’s View in We Have Never Been Modern: Latour critiques the traditional view of science as objective and independent of human biases. He uses Robert Boyle’s famous air pump experiment (which was supposed to prove the existence of a vacuum) as an example to show how scientific experiments are shaped by the social and political desires of their time.
• Scientific Experiments and Social Metaphors: Latour interprets Boyle’s air pump experiment as more than a mere demonstration of vacuums. He sees it as a symbolic action: Boyle’s attempt to separate matter from life (or God from nature) was analogous to separating religion from politics and science from human will. In essence, Boyle was creating a new “closed space” (the vacuum) where objective facts could be created and believed, but this process of creating “facts” was influenced by the broader cultural, religious, and political landscape of the time. The experiment becomes a metaphor for Boyle’s desire for order, stability, and the expansion of political rights.
• Implications for Modern Science: Latour and Stephenson argue that we can’t view science as operating in a vacuum (pun intended). Just as Boyle’s experiment was influenced by social and political factors, today’s science—whether related to the ozone hole, global warming, or genetic manipulation—must be seen as connected to broader human concerns. Scientific knowledge is not purely objective, but shaped by human needs, fears, and desires.