History and quasi-history in physics education. I

Abstract

The author discusses a type of material which looks historical, but in which there is no attempt to convey history truthfully: the aim is solely to put over scientific facts, and the 'history' is there to provide a framework inside which the scientific facts fit easily, appear to 'make sense' and may be easily remembered for examination purposes. It also provides, maybe, a little light relief from the hard facts of the science itself. He calls this 'quasi-history', and many examples are given, followed by a discussion of its effects.