This authoritative work on the history of scientific instruments brings together information from hundreds of primary sources and specialized studies in many languages. Written by 223 scientists, instrument designers, and historians, the Encyclopedia's 327 entries cover instruments from the beginnings of science to the present day and explore devices designed for cutting-edge research as well as routine testing. Each entry explains how a device works, how it is used, who developed it, and shows what it looks like. The Encyclopedia is the first reference work to address the great historical range of instruments and is also the first to consider applications, innovations, and costs. Because of its focus on 20th-century devices and disciplines, its coverage is particularly valuable to students and scholars of modern science and technology.