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SCIENCE STUDIES EVENTS CALENDAR
At some of the meetings of the Science Studies Group, one or two members of the group introduce themselves by describing their past and current interests and researches as they might relate to some aspect of the history or philosophy of science, medicine, and technology and their social contexts. Other meetings involve lectures, panel-discussions or round-tables on various special topics. We will also continue our exploration of issues regarding complexity and scale. Feel free to suggest topics for discussion to Otávio Bueno or Davis Baird. To request readings or to confirm meeting times and places: Otávio Bueno, Philosophy Department, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, Tel. 803-777-7418, Fax 803-777-9178. Contents of present page: Watch for regular updates of these calendars. Please share this information with anyone who might be interested. Previous Calendars: 2002/2003 | 2001/2002 | 2000/2001 | 1999/2000 See also the current schedule of Nano Culture Seminars and Conferences.
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Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem in a Nutshell Stephen Fenner (Computer Science and Engineering, USC Columbia) |
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Theory, Observation and Scientific Realism Jody Azzouni (Philosophy Department, Tufts University) |
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Science and Technology Policy in Ireland Garret FitzGerald (Chancellor, National University of Ireland) |
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Anticipating Public Reactions to Nanotechnology Christopher Toumey (Anthropology Department, USC Columbia), – and – From von Neumann to Drexler: Roots to Nanoscience Otávio Bueno (Philosophy Department, USC Columbia) |
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Nanotechnology and the Public Sphere David Berube (English Department, USC Columbia) |
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Investigating Chemistry on Metal Nanoparticles Donna Chen (Chemistry and Biochemistry, USC Columbia) |
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The Impact of DNA Evidence in Criminal Proceedings Margaret A. Berger (Brooklyn Law School) |
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Whose Experience? Whose Science? Jerry Hackett (Philosophy Department, USC Columbia) |
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The Troubled History of the Ether Joseph Milutis (Art Department, USC Columbia) |
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Nanotechnology and the Culture of Medicine Robert Best (School of Medicine, USC Columbia) |
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Navigating Nano Through Society Davis Baird (Philosophy Department, USC Columbia) |
SPRING AND SUMMER 2004
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The
Shape of Molecules to Come: Algorithms, Models, and Visions of the Nanoscale Ann Johnson (History, Fordham University) This talk is also part of the Nano Culture Seminar Series. |
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Science as Play Pierre Laszlo (Chemistry, Ecole Polytechnique Palaiseau and University of Liège) |
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Narratives
for Nanotech: Anthropological Insights for Anticipating Public Reactions to Nanotechnology Christopher Toumey (Anthropology, USC Columbia) This talk is also part of the Nano Culture Seminar Series. |
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Really
Faking Nature: The Promise and Threat of Nanotech Christopher Preston (Philosophy, USC Columbia) This talk is also part of the Nano Culture Seminar Series. |
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Engineering
Criteria on Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics Pieter E. Vermaas (Department of Philosophy, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands) |
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NIRT Conference:
Imaging and Imagining
Nanoscience and Engineering: An International and Interdisciplinary Conference at USC |
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Round Table:
The Drexler-Smalley Debate on Nanotechnology Rick Adams (USC NanoCenter and Chemistry and Biochemistry, USC), Davis Baird (Philosophy, USC), David Berube (English, USC), Otávio Bueno (Philosophy, USC), Cathy Murphy (Chemistry, USC) This event is also part of the Nano Culture Seminar Series. |
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Ethics
of Chemical Synthesis Joachim Schummer (Department of Philosophy, USC) This event is also part of the Nano Culture Seminar Series. |
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European Perspectives
on Nanoscience and Technology Alfred Nordmann (Technical University of Darmstadt and USC Philosophy) This event is also part of the Nano Culture Seminar Series. |
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Ethics
and the Framing Problem: A Case Study in Assessments of the George Khushf (Department of Philosophy, USC) This event is also part of the Nano Culture Seminar Series. |
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Creating Facts:
The Form and Function of Scientific Discoveries Kenneth Caneva (Department of History, University of North Carolina, Greensboro) |
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Systems Biology
and the NanoSystems Biology Alliance Leroy Hood (Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle) This event is also part of the Nano Culture Seminar Series. |
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The
Evolution of Nanotechnology in Science Fiction Steven Lynn (Department of English, USC) This event is also part of the Nano Culture Seminar Series. |
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Rationality
and Normativity Mark Colyvan (Department of Philosophy, University of Queensland, Australia) |
OTHER PLANS AND POSSIBLE TOPICS
The following are proposed possible topics for discussion.
This open-ended list indicates the wide range of appropriate subject matters.
Hopefully it will encourage you to lead a discussion on one of these
topics or anything of similar interest and relevance to science studies:
- A fairly recent Science or Nature-editorial on "The (Political) Science of Salt" (what went wrong regarding the "established" causal link between blood-pressure and salt?)
- A presentation on chronobiology: Time-scales in biology and medical research.
- How are facts established, for example the "fact" that birds evolved from dinosaurs?
- Learning from nature? Can complex natural systems serve as blueprints for re-engineering economy?
- The Mammoth and the Mouse: Questions of scale in (micro-)history and/or political geography.
- Are there Laws in Biology or in any of the sciences? Why are scientists talking about "laws" at all, why don't they limit themselves to terms like generalization, theory, equation, principle, axiom, etc.? Is this merely a semantic issue of no consequence to science? Or do scientists become philosophers when they refer to laws?
- A discussion of Steve Weinberg's article "Can Science Explain Everything? Anything?" in the New York Review of Books (May 31, 2001)
- A presentation by George Khushf (Philosophy, Center for Bioethics) on Hans Driesch's Argument for Developmental Complexity in Contemporary Contexts.
- Ian Hacking's The Social Construction of What or T.M. Luhrmann's Of Two Minds: The Growing Disorder in American Psychiatry.
- Are there ever any jokes, anecdotes, hidden references in scientific articles? Is it hard sometimes even for peers to figure out what the author means? A collation of examples ...
- Or you may have read in the newspaper that the universe really is flat — as if issues of geometry could be decided empirically (how did that go)?
- A presentation by Jerry Hackett (Philosophy) on the Rhetoric and Reality of Experiment (before and up to Newton)
- A discussion of (and with?) Stuart Kauffman (Santa Fe Institute and University of Pennsylvania; author of Origins of Order, At Home in the Universe, and Investigations): Co-constructing the Biosphere: Complexity and the Possibility of General Laws for Open Thermodynamic Systems.
- Physicist Julian Barbour's recent book on The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Physics.
- A text that questions or defends the value of Science Studies (for example the introduction of Bruno Latour's Pandora's Hope).
- A closer look at "borderline research," controversial practices, concepts, and theories such as "therapeutic touch," "the memory of water," "the placebo effect," "genes and memes," "environmental illness," "parapsychology."
- Discussions with new members of the Science Studies Group — on the use of constructivist conceptions of science in middle school science education, on science and creationism, the (re)construction of the Rhine River post-war Germany, etc.
- An informal panel conversation about a paper by Michelle Murphy: "The 'Elsewhere within Here' and Environmental Illness; or, How to Build Yourself a Body in a Safe Space." According to clinical ecology and in contrast to toxicological tenets, "reactions [are] not specific to the chemical and general to the human body, but rather nonspecific to the chemical and individual to the body," i.e., specific to the individual body. How might this affect our understanding of the body and of disease? [This panel discussion may be preceded or followed by a screening of Todd Haynes's excellent film [Safe] starring Julianne Moore.]
- ... and whatever you propose.
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Last updated 4/8/08 10:33 PM
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burke@sc.edu
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© 2006 University of South Carolina Board of Trustees |