Definition

Proper noun: * Stephen Jay Gould: An American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He is renowned for his significant contributions to evolutionary theory and for his prolific work in popularizing science for the general public through essays and books.

Usage

• Stephen Jay Gould is used as a proper noun to refer to the individual person, his body of work, or his scientific ideas.
  • The theory of punctuated equilibrium was co-developed by Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge.
  • I am reading a collection of essays by Stephen Jay Gould.
  • The lecture discussed Stephen Jay Gould's views on the history of life.

Advanced Usage

• Gouldian: (adjective) Pertaining to or characteristic of Stephen Jay Gould or his ideas. This is a derived, non-standard term sometimes used in academic or popular science writing.
  • The author presents a Gouldian perspective on evolutionary progress.

Variants and Related Words

• Punctuated equilibrium: (noun phrase) A seminal theory in evolutionary biology proposing that species experience long periods of stasis punctuated by rapid periods of speciation, famously advanced by Gould and Eldredge.
• Non-overlapping magisteria (NOMA): (noun phrase) A concept advocated by Gould suggesting that science and religion represent separate domains of teaching authority that do not conflict.

Synonyms

• Science popularizer
• Evolutionary biologist
• Paleontologist

Note: These are descriptive synonyms for his profession, not direct substitutes for the proper name.

Noun

1. United States paleontologist and popularizer of science (1941-2002)