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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: 2003/2004 | 2002/2003 | 2001/2002 | 2000/2001 | 1999/2000 See also the current schedule of Nano Culture Seminars and Conferences.
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Synthesis and the Growth of Knowledge: A conference examining Michael Friedman's work and ideas on the relationship between history of philosophy and history of science. | |
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The Moral Character of Mad Scientists: How to Say that Science is Evil Christopher Toumey (Anthropology Department, USC Columbia) |
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Computer Ethics and Social Studies of Computing Philip Brey (Department of Philosophy, University of Twente) |
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How the History of Technology Can Change Our View of US Foreign Relations: The Cold War, International Technical Cooperation, and the Indian Institutes of Technology as 'MIT-type' Institutions Ross Bassett (Department of History, North Carolina State University) |
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The Problem of Non-individuality in Quantum Mechanics Adonai Sant'Anna (Department of Mathematics, Federal University |
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Framing of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Issues and Initiatives Lowndes F. Stephens (Journalism and Mass Communications, USC Columbia) |
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Smaller, Faster, Better? The Public Good and Nanotechnology Ed Munn Sanchez (Philosophy Department, USC Columbia) |
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Revolution/Evolution: Hyperbole and Expectation in Nanotechnology Policy Making David Berube (English Department, USC Columbia) |
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Post-Academic Nanoscience: The Battles Ahead Thomas Vogt (Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory) |
SPRING AND SUMMER 2005
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Environmental Health and Safety of Nanotechnology:
From Kristen Kulinowski (Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, |
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Cultural
Hermeneutics of Nanomedicine Chris Toumey (Department of Anthropology, USC) |
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Codifying
the Ethics of Nanotechnology Ashley Shew (Department of Philosophy, USC) |
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Nano Ethics |
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The
Conception of "Knowledge" in Technoscience:
What Do Alfred Nordmann (Department of Philosophy, Technical |
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Definability
in Physics David BenDaniel (Johnson School, Cornell University) |
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International
Perspectives on Socially Responsible Nanotechnology:
Alfred Nordmann (Department of Philosophy, Technical |
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The
Visual Image of Science Joachim Schummer (Technical University of Darmstadt and |
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Smaller,
Faster, Better? The Public Good and Nanotechnology Ed Munn Sanchez (Department of Philosophy, USC) |
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Ethical
Issues in Nanobiotechnology: A Japanese Response Leslie Jones (School of Medicine, USC) |
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"Beauty
Doth of Itself Persuade": Mathematical Beauty and
Michael Dickson (Department of Philosophy, USC) |
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Origins
of Nanotechnology Policy: The Inside Story Neal Lane (Rice University; Former Director of NSF and Former Science |
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Ending
the Death March Alan Cooper (Upsilon Pi Epsilon Keynote Address, UPE Honor Society |
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The
Web of Learning Michael S. Mahoney (History Department and Program in the History of Science, |
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A
Member in Name Only: Geology as a Component in
19th Century Julie Newell (Southern Polytechnic State University, Social and |
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Some
Issues Regarding Definitions in Mathematics and Physics Adonai Sant'Anna (Department of Mathematics, Federal University |
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Publics
for Nanotechnology and Biotechnology in Canada and
Susanna Priest (College of Mass Communications and Information |
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Species
Are Not Explanatory Kinds: Evidence from the Debate
Todd Grantham (Department of Philosophy, |
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Information
in Economic Theory: A Database-like Characterization Fernando Tohmé (Department of Economics, Universidad Nacional del Sur, |
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STM,
Modeling and All That: How Not to be a Realist About Microscopy Otávio Bueno (Department of Philosophy, USC) |
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 |