History of Science Society Centenary

As the History of Science Society approaches its centennial celebration in 2024, its members reflect on the past 100 years of the profession, its fascinations and preoccupations, and its possible future in an increasingly globalized world. This podcast is a collaboration between the History of Science Society and the Consortium.

Jump to:

Episode 1 on the past, present and future of the Society

Episode 2 on women historians of science

Episode 3 on history of science in the movies

Episode 4 on global perspectives in the history of science

Episode 5 on the Society's publications

Episode 6 on songs in the history of science

Episode 7 on mining in the history and sociology of science

Where has the Society been and where will it go next? Our first episode, hosted by HSS President Fa-ti Fan, kicks the series off with a discussion between HSS Presidents past, present, and future. Fan is joined by past Presidents Bernard Lightman and Jan Golinski, and current Vice President, Evelynn Hammonds. The group discusses what the history of science has meant to them, the value of history of science scholarship, and how the Society and its diverse members can expand understanding of the scientific enterprise and the contexts in which science is practiced.

Fa-ti Fan, Binghamton University

President, 2022-2023

Jan Golinski, University of New Hampshire

President, 2020-2021

Evelynn Hammonds, Harvard University

Vice-President, 2022-2023

Bernard Lightman, York University

President, 2018-2019

Closed captioning available on YouTube.

Recorded on April 26, 2023.

The discovery of a never-released report from 1973 on women in the History of Science Society provides an opportunity to reflect on how much things have changed, what has not changed, and challenges that remain for improving inclusion in the Society. Discussants in this episode are:

Tara Nummedal, Brown University

Samantha Muka, Stevens Institute of Technology

Margaret Rossiter, Cornell University

Matthew Lavine, Mississippi State University

Closed captioning available on YouTube.

Recorded on June 5, 2023.

Join us for a discussion of history of science from the perspectives of Latin American, African, and Ottoman history — and global history more broadly. How have these perspectives been represented in the past? What has changed more recently? What are the pressing questions and challenges for the future of the field from a global perspective? Sharing their experiences and points of view on these issues:

Harun Küçük

University of Pennsylvania

Gabriela Soto Laveaga

Harvard University

Helen Tilley

Northwestern University

Closed captioning available on YouTube.

Recorded on June 5, 2023.

Full video:

Four historians share their interests in music, and their perspectives on using songs as source material for better understanding the history of science.

Antony Adler

Andrew Fiss
Michigan Technological University

Asif Siddiqi
Fordham University

Betty Smocovitis
University of Florida

Join us for a discussion on the history of mining and the intersections of history of science with several other fields. How are mines sites of knowing the world, and how is that knowledge contested? How has our understanding of what a mine is changed over time, and what does that mean for how mines are studied? What can the methods and sources used in studying mines teach us about trends in the history of science and science studies? Discussants are:

Allison Margaret Bigelow
University of Virginia
 

Jessica Smith
Colorado School of Mines
 

Recorded on April 1, 2024
Closed captioning available on YouTube.