ABSTRACT
Whewell’s “tributary-river” view of scientific progress suggests that once a distinct and appropriate idea is promulgated, scientists utilize this correct insight. Brewster called attention to Robert Hooke’s neglected idea that the colors produced by thin glass plates are caused by interference of wave pulses from the first and second surfaces of the plate. Scientists at the time adopted instead Newton’s inappropriate idea of “fits of easy transmission and reflection.” It was not until Thomas Young’s work on interference effects a century later that Hooke’s “distinct and appropriate” idea was widely accepted.
