This essay will explore the various criteria related to the definition of Big Science. With such a wide range of opinions on the topic, an attempt will be made to simplify and rationalize a specific definition. To this end, examples of the Manhattan Project and research conducted at CERN will be analyzed, and the perceived effect of the former on Big Science will be examined. It will be argued that Big Science is simply the industrialization of Little Science, and that the differences between the two are a matter of scale and resources rather than a complete paradigm shift. What is Big Science? To discuss the development of Big Science it would be logical to have a precise definition, but the definition is highly debated. Capshew and Rader describe Big Science using a set of five fundamental characteristics. (Capshew & Rader, 1992, p. 4) • Money: The large amount of capital required, typically provided by large corporations or national governments. • Manpower: The substantial number of researchers and experts employed to complete the project. • Machines: the complex and expensive machines needed to carry out the research. • Military: The directional, and sometimes monetary, involvement of defense organizations in research. • Media: Research programs are considered important enough to be widely covered by media organizations. In many cases, public awareness and support for projects are also important in securing funding. In keeping with the theme of these criteria, it has been argued that Big Science is simply science on a large scale. Alvin Weinberg, creator of the term “Big Science”, defined it this way. (Capshew & Rader, 1992, p. 5) Large-scale projects such as Diderot's Encyc... half of the paper... growth in public understanding of science, and this was followed by greater appreciation of and interest in scientific research . Works Cited Capshew, J. H., & Rader, K. A. (1992). Great science: price in the present. Osiris, 7, 3-25.CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from http://www.cern.ch/Hughes, J. (2003). The Manhattan Project: Big Science and the Atomic Bomb. Cambridge: Icon.Hughes, T. P. (2004). American Genesis: A Century of Invention and Technological Enthusiasm, 1870-1970 (New ed.). Chicago, Illinois; London: University of Chicago Press.Kelly, C. C. (2006). Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project: insights into J. Robert Oppenheimer, "father of the atomic bomb". Hackensack, New Jersey; London: World Scientific.Krige, J., & Pestre, D. (1997). Science in the 20th century. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic.