Conversation so far:
Did he work in the laboratory?
Latour rose in importance following the 1979 publication of Laboratory Life: the Social Construction of Scientific Facts with co-author Steve Woolgar.
What was it about?
This early work argued that naive descriptions of the scientific method, in which theories stand or fall on the outcome of a single experiment, are inconsistent with actual laboratory practice.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
In the laboratory, Latour and Woolgar observed that a typical experiment produces only inconclusive data that is attributed to failure of the apparatus or experimental method.
How was his work received?
Some of Latour's position and findings in this era provoked vehement rebuttals.

Question: Who was provoked with rebuttals?
Self-contained rewrite: Who gave rebuttals to Latour's position and findings?