Professor at Portland State University, United States
Terry Bristol is President and CEO of the Institute for Science, Engineering and Public Policy and a Professor affiliated with Portland State University. Educated at UC Berkeley and the University of London, Bristol’s academic journey began in astronomy and evolved through advanced mathematics and philosophy. Influenced by Paul Feyerabend, Thomas Kuhn, and Imre Lakatos, he challenged conventional scientific views, focusing on thermodynamics and engineering philosophy. Author of “Give Space My Love,” Bristol’s work reinterprets quantum theory through engineering thermodynamics. He has taught intermittently at Portland State University, Linfield University, and Portland Community College since 1970. Theoretical Advances
Professional Profiles
Education
University of California at Berkeley (1964-1969) Philosophy of Science (and Mathematics) Honors Thesis Advisor: Paul Feyerabend University College, University of London (1969-70, 1974-1979) History and Philosophy of Science and Mathematics PhD Advisor: Imre Lakatos
Teaching
Portland State University 1970-1972, 1980 – present (intermittently) Linfield University, Oregon 1980-1988 Portland Community College 1980 – present (intermittently) Theoretical Advances
Intellectual Trajectory
Terry Bristol began his academic journey at Berkeley with a major in astronomy, eventually shifting his focus to astrophysics and advanced mathematics. His interests expanded to include chemistry, biology, and psychology. This interdisciplinary curiosity led him to question foundational aspects of these fields, often finding these questions labeled as ‘philosophical.’ This realization drew him to philosophy, where he connected with Paul Feyerabend and other influential thinkers like Thomas Kuhn, Karl Popper, and Imre Lakatos, who were challenging the conventional philosophy of science. Theoretical Advances
Research Focus
Terry Bristol’s research spans the philosophy of science and engineering, thermodynamics, and the medical applications of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). His work has explored the lack of nephrotoxicity of DMSO in humans and laboratory animals, the effects of chronic DMSO administration on autoimmune diseases in mice, and the broader implications of thermodynamics in engineering. Bristol has also authored works on the philosophical foundations of engineering, reimagining the future of engineering, and the intersection of quantum theory and engineering thermodynamics. His intellectual pursuits integrate rigorous scientific inquiry with profound philosophical questions. Theoretical Advances
Publications
- Quantum theory only makes sense in Lazare Carnot’s participatory engineering thermodynamics, a development of Leibniz’s dynamics, Publication date: 2023.
- Quantum Theory only Makes Sense in a Participatory Systems Engineering Thermodynamics Framework, Publication date: 2023.
- The Systems Engineering Worldview: The Technological Structure and Function of Reality, Publication date: 2021.
- The Engineering Knowledge Research Program, Publication date: 2018.
- Reconsidering the Foundations of Thermodynamics from an Engineering Perspective, Publication date: 2018.
- The Philosophy of Engineering and the Engineering Worldview, Publication date: 2018.
- Give space my love: An intellectual odyssey with Dr. Stephen Hawking, Publication date: 2015.
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