Historical Perspectives On Contemporary Issues
History of Science Society at 100
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.
Amit Prasad, Georgia Institute of Technology
Matthew Shindell, Smithsonian, National Air and Space MuseumJoin 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 KüçükUniversity of Pennsylvania
Gabriela Soto LaveagaHarvard University
Helen TilleyNorthwestern University
Closed captioning available on YouTube.
Recorded on June 5, 2023.
Elise Burton, University of Toronto
Alexandra Hui, Mississippi State UniversityMatt Lavine, Mississippi State University
Projit Mukharji, Ashoka University
Sigrid Schmalzer, University of Massachusetts, AmherstAudio only:
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
Asif Siddiqi
Betty SmocovitisRecorded December 11, 2023
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.