Vol. 39, No. 1, April 2010
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News & Inquiries
Quick Links....
Notes from the Inside
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News
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Member News
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Disturbingly Historical: Reinventing a Museum
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Teaching Tricks
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Program Profile, Georgia Institute of Technology
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Feeding a War: Q & A with Daniel Ragussis
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Honoring Scientists with Stamps
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Searching Smartly in the HistSciTechMed Database
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Jobs, Conferences, Grants
University of Chicago Press Joins Current Scholarship Program
The University of Chicago Press and JSTOR announced that they will join forces in the Current Scholarship Program. Scheduled to launch early 2011, the program will bring scholarly content from leading not-for-profit publishers to a single integrated platform, making its use more innovative, efficient, and affordable for faculty, students, librarians and publishers.
The University of Chicago Press, one of the world’s oldest and largest university presses, brings 51 titles to the program, including many of the most influential publications in the world. Both current and back issues will be accessible on the platform.
There are now 11 publishers working together as part of the program, and that number is rapidly increasing. With the addition of Chicago, the current issues for at least 150 journals will be available on JSTOR by 2011. This content will be accessible alongside the more than 1,100 journals with back issues on JSTOR today as well as a growing set of primary source materials from libraries and museums.
More than 6,000 JSTOR library participants worldwide will be able to license the current journals, either individually or as part of current issue collections, together with JSTOR back issue collections in a single transaction. The journals will also continue to be preserved in Portico, the digital preservation service that, along with JSTOR, is part of the not-for- profit ITHAKA. For more information about the Current Scholarship Program, see http://www.jstor.org/page/info/ about/programs/currentScholarship.jsp
Marjorie Howard Futcher Digital Photo Collection Launched
The Osler Library of the History of Medicine and the McGill University Library are launching the online Marjorie Howard Futcher Photo Collection at http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/futcher. This is a series of close to 1,000 images arranged in two albums dating from 1890 to 1910 by Marjorie Howard Futcher (1882-1969), daughter of the former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Osler’s mentor R. Palmer Howard. The site contains a number of photographs of medical people, including Sir William Osler (1849-1919), Dean of McGill Medicine Francis Shepherd (1851-1929), and even Dr. John McCrae (1872-1918), later famous for his poem "In Flanders Fields." It also illustrates the social life of a young, well-connected Montreal woman during the period. The site provides an insight into the intersection of the worlds of elite medicine and wealth. Viewers can virtually flip through the photo albums, replicating the experience of examining the originals and also seeing each picture in its larger context. For more information, please contact the Osler Library at osler.library@mcgill.ca or 514-398-4475, ext 09873.
Announcing HOPOS: The Journal of the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science
At long last HOPOS has its own journal. Published by the University of Chicago Press, the first issue is scheduled to appear Spring 2011 in both print and electronic formats. The editors invite submission of article-length manuscripts to be published in HOPOS: The Journal of the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science. We seek to publish the highest-quality scholarship on the history of philosophical discussions about science. The history of philosophy of science is broadly construed to include topics in the history of related disciplines, in all time periods and all geographical areas, using diverse methodologies. The journal aims to provide an outlet for interdisciplinary work, increase the already unusually high level of participation of international scholars in the history of the philosophy of science, raise the level of work in the history of philosophy of science by publishing scholarship that helps to explain the links among philosophy, science, and mathematics, along with the social, economic, and political context, which is indispensable for a genuine understanding of the history of philosophy. HOPOS scholarship is firmly concerned with situating philosophical understandings of science within the broader historical and philosophical settings in which they were developed, and against the backdrop of mainstream issues in philosophical thought, covering epistemological, methodological, metaphysical, and moral issues relevant to the growth of our knowledge of the world and human nature. The journal does not limit submissions to HOPOS members. Scholars from all related disciplines are encouraged to submit to the journal. The length of articles is flexible, and all articles published in HOPOS are peer reviewed. Please see the HOPOS journal home page at http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/hopos/ for further information and for author instructions.
The Madame Heymann Optical Collection — rediscovered after 85 years
In the early 20th century Madame Alfred Heymann assembled the world’s greatest collection of eyeglasses and eyeglass cases, which disappeared right after she died in 1925. It has now been rediscovered and is now available digitally at http://www.antiquespectacles.com.
Post-event report: International Workshop on Lysenkoism
Portions of the International Workshop on Lysenkoism, held 4-5 December 2009 at the CUNY Graduate Center and Columbia University, were recorded by CUNY TV and are available online. To view, visit https://bcc-cuny.digication.com/ www.lysenkoworkshop.com/Welcome/published and click on "Lysenko Workshop Live." For further information on upcoming activities of the Working Group on Lysenkoism contact William deJong-Lambert at william.dejong-lambert@bcc.cuny.edu or WRL4@columbia.edu.
New Masters Program in Science, Technology and International Development: University of Edinburgh
The Science, Technology and Innovation Studies subject group of the University of Edinburgh announces a new Masters Programs in Science, Technology and International Development. This MSc program draws on the University of Edinburgh’s long-standing reputation for excellence in medicine, science and engineering.
Based in Edinburgh, Scotland’s vibrant capital and a UNESCO World Heritage city, the University is a home for science and technology studies, innovation studies and is a global hub of expertise in international development. As a student in our program you will have the opportunity to draw together options from one of the UK’s largest groupings of high quality social science, taking advantage of all the resources one of the world’s top universities has to offer. Here you will be able to build a degree that suits your regional, disciplinary and professional interests. This masters program is open to students and professionals looking to develop a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of international development and how they play out in a global context. For further information: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/ gradschool/research_masters_programmes/msc_r_science_and_technology.
New contact information for Technology and Culture
Technology and Culture has moved to its new home at the University of Oklahoma. Contact information for all new business, including submissions and correspondence is: techculture@ou.edu; Ph: 1-405-325-2311. Address: Suzanne Moon, incoming Editor-in-Chief, The Technology and Culture Editorial Offices, University of Oklahoma, Cate Center 4, 332 Cate Center Dr., Room 484, Norman, OK 73019, USA.
Johannes Kepler Working Group
This new C41/ICHA Working Group was created in October 2009 and will exist during the current triennium only. The Group was created because Kepler studies have reached a critical point with the demise in 2008 of the Kepler Kommission, which oversaw the publication of Kepler’s Collected Works (Gesammelte Werke). There are serious issues that threaten the long-term availability of that fundamental work; for example, several of the 21 volumes (including nearly all the vitally important correspondence) are now out of print, and — even more seriously — the corpus of primary and secondary material that formerly comprised the Kommission needs to be given a permanent home that will ensure that this priceless documentation and library will continue to be made easily available to Kepler scholars in both their original format and electronically (the photostated manuscripts and library are currently housed in the Bavarian Academy of Sciences). These issues need to be tackled on a high-visibility platform, and this WG, first proposed during Special Session 9 (Marking the 400th Anniversary of Kepler’s Astronomia nova) of the XXVII IAU GA in Rio de Janeiro, has been set up as the platform for such activities. The members of the Johannes Kepler Working Group are: T. J. Mahoney (Spain) [Chair]; A. E. L. Davis (UK); S. Dupré (Belgium); J. V. Field (U.K.); E. Hoeg (Denmark,); G. Hon (Israel); A. Mosley (U.K.); J. M. Pasachoff (U.S); J.-C. Pecker (France); S. J. Rabin (U.S); B. Stephenson (U.S); J. Wlodarczyk (Poland); and G. Wolfschmidt (Germany). For further information: http://www.le.ac.uk/has/ icha/wg_jk.shtml.
Bakken Museum Honored with Leading Edge Award From Association of Science-Technology Centers
The Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) awarded The Bakken the 2009 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award for Visitor Experience for its Science Assets-based School Partnership program on 31 October 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas. The 'Edgie’ recognizes extraordinary accomplishments that not only enhance the performance of the institution, but also significantly advance the mission of science-technology centers and museums. The Bakken’s Museum’s mission is to inspire a passion for science. Because science and technology are rapidly changing the world in which today’s students live and work, The Bakken developed the groundbreaking Science Assets-based School Partnership program in collaboration with the Minneapolis Public Schools to change how students think about and approach science. The program successfully builds upon children’s creativity to help them develop confidence, receive support and understand that science is a meaningful part of their daily life. A team of Bakken educators visits the classroom, actively involving students in creative thinking and problem solving. As part of the program, children are introduced to'People of Science’ who help bring science to life in the classroom – such as a food scientist from General Mills whose job includes tasting cookies, and an engineer from Medtronic who uses Silly Putty to demonstrate his work with polymers. The School Partnership program also includes a professional development component. Participating teachers report increased confidence in teaching science. Positive outcomes have led to expansion of the program which will serve 2,700 district fourth graders and their teachers through 2011.
Ph.D. Dissertations in the History of Science
The most recent list of dissertations pertaining to the history of science can be viewed at: http://www.hsls.pitt.edu/guides/histmed/researchresources/ dissertations/index_html.
Complete Set of the Journal of the History of Biology Wanted
Donald J. McGraw is seeking a complete (or nearly complete) set of the Journal of the History of Biology. Please contact him through his business website at: http://web.mac.com/donaldmcgraw/Dr.DJM/Welcome.html.
Samir Okasha Wins Lakatos Award
The London School of Economics and Political Science announces that this year’s Lakatos Award, of £10,000 for an outstanding contribution to the philosophy of science, goes to: Samir Okasha (Bristol University), for his book Evolution and the Levels of Selection (Oxford University Press, 2006). He will visit LSE to receive the Award and give the Award Public Lecture during summer term, 2010.
2010 SAHMS Meeting
The 12th annual meeting of the Southern Association for the History of Medicine and Science was held in Louisville, KY 5-6 March 2010 in the Conference Center of Jewish Hospital. SAHMS hosted over 70 lectures during this two day celebration of the history of medicine and science. The final program and registration materials can be viewed at: http://www.sahms.net/HTML/2010.htm.
InterUnion Commission of Astronomy Newsletter
The Inter-Union Commission for the History of Astronomy (DHST together with IUA) has re-launched its newsletter. You can find it at http://www.le.ac.uk/has/ icha/documents/icha_news_09.pdf, and via http://www.dhstweb.org.
IHPST Newsletter
The latest newsletter of the IHPST group is now available on the Web at: http://www.ihpst.org/newsletters.html.
Opportunities for Scholars: Institute for Advanced Study, School of Historical Studies
The Institute is an independent private institution founded in 1930 to create a community of scholars focused on intellectual inquiry, free from teaching and other university obligations. Scholars from around the world come to the Institute to pursue their own research. Candidates of any nationality may apply for a single term or a full academic year. Scholars may apply for a stipend, but those with sabbatical funding, other grants, retirement funding or other means are also invited to apply for a nonstipendiary membership. Some short-term visitorships (for less than a full term, and without stipend) are also available on an ad-hoc basis. Open to all fields of historical research, the School of Historical Studies’ principal interests are the history of western, near eastern and Asian civilizations, with particular emphasis upon Greek and Roman civilization, the history of Europe (medieval, early modern, and modern), the Islamic world, East Asian studies, the history of art, the history of science, philosophy, modern international relations, and music studies. Residence in Princeton during term time is required. The only other obligation of Members is to pursue their own research. The Ph.D. (or equivalent) and substantial publications are required. Information and application forms may be found on the School’s Web site, www.hs.ias.edu or contact the School of Historical Studies, Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Dr., Princeton, N.J. 08540 or at mzelazny@ias.edu. Deadline: 1 November 2010.
Cuban Society for the History of Science and Technology Boletin
Boletin No. 31 of the Cuban Society for the History of Science and Technology is now available as a pdf. Contact Jose Altshuler at jea@infomed.sld.cu for more information.
CFP: The Brock Review, "Animals in Human Societies"
The Brock Review is seeking scholarly essays and creative pieces for an upcoming issue on the theme of "Animals in Human Societies." This issue will focus on changing ideas about the use and treatment of animals in contemporary societies and the ethical, economic and political significance of animal rights. This issue will be co-edited by Dr. John Sorenson (Department of Sociology, Brock University). Possible topics might include: Animal/human bonds and mutual aid; Representations of animals; Animal rights and social justice; Veganism, bolitionism and the rise of "happy meat"; Normalization of speciesism; Animal rights and anarchism. The Brock Review is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal published by the Humanities Research Institute at Brock University. Scholarly essays submitted to The Brock Review should not exceed 25 double-spaced pages in length. Essays should adhere to the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style and include endnotes (where necessary) and a bibliography. Manuscripts should be original works and should not be published (or under consideration for publication) in another format. Manuscripts should be submitted via the journal Web site: http://www.brocku.ca/brockreview) by 16 July 2010.
SciSIP Program Proposals, NSF
Proposals for NSF’s Program on the Science of Science and Innovation Policy are due 9 September 2010. For more information please visit: http://www.nsf.gov/ funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=501084. If you have any questions, please contact the SciSIP Program Manager, Julia Lane at jlane@nsf.gov.
Summer 2011 — Call for Volunteers
The Center for the History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics is working on organizing a multi-day conference for graduate students and early career scholars interested in the history of the physical sciences to be held in Summer 2011 in Washington DC. If you are interested in volunteering or learning more, please contact Amy Fisher at afisher@aip.org.
In Memoriam: Stephen Toulmin
Stephen Toulmin, an influential philosopher who conducted wide-ranging inquiries into ethics, science and moral reasoning and developed a new approach to analyzing arguments known as the Toulmin model of argumentation, died on 4 December 2009 in Los Angeles. He was 87. The full New York Times obituary is at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/education/11toulmin.html.