author
Derek J. de Solla (Derek John de Solla) Price
1922–1983
A pioneer in the study of science itself, he helped show how knowledge grows, spreads, and changes over time. He is also remembered for his work on the Antikythera mechanism, the ancient device often described as an early mechanical computer.
1 Audiobook
On the Origin of Clockwork, Perpetual Motion Devices, and the Compass
by Derek J. de Solla (Derek John de Solla) Price
About the author
Born in 1922 and active across physics, history of science, and information science, Derek J. de Solla Price became one of the key early thinkers in what later came to be called scientometrics—the quantitative study of scientific research and publication.
He is especially known for examining patterns in scientific literature and for arguing that science grows in measurable ways. Alongside that work, he brought wide attention to the Antikythera mechanism, treating it as a sophisticated ancient instrument rather than a simple curiosity.
Price died in 1983, but his ideas continued to shape how scholars think about research networks, citation patterns, and the history of technology.