title: John Dalton and the aesthetics of molecular representation.
abstract: This paper examines the negative response to Dalton's symbolism in the context of the representational system of affinity tables. When situated in an iconoclastic scientific culture that rejected overt speculation, affinity tables reflected a functionalist empirical aesthetic, while Dalton's symbols embraced a deductive aesthetic suggestive of alchemical iconography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of San Francisco, California 94117-1080, USA. spector@usfca.edu
authors.forename: Tami I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Spector