Conecta.

Two-Day Colloquium: Scientific Realism in Light of the History of Science Date: 7th-8th September 2012 Venue: Birley Room, Hatfield College, Durham University, UK Sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the project 'Evaluating Scientific Realism: A New Generation of Historical Case Studies' SYNOPSIS It is ubiquitously acknowledged that the history of science is a crucial consideration when assessing contemporary scientific realist positions. Laudan’s seminal paper ‘A Confutation of Convergent Realism’ (1981) laid down the challenge to the realist explicitly: what kind of substantial realist position can stand up against the abundance of successful but false theories in the history of science? Since then the realist has responded in a number of ways, and has enjoyed considerable success in answering the challenges. But just recently a new wave of historical case studies has been presented, especially tailored to challenge the contempora...

http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/46346 Call for Essays: Circulations of Religion and Medicine in North American Culture As twenty-first-century critics we are inclined to think of medicine and religion as oppositional disciplines with incompatible approaches to the world. The “secularization thesis,” promulgated in the work of Max Weber and other early-twentieth-century sociologists, has positioned scientific objectivity as replacing religious superstition, with medicine “switching sides” from a spiritual discourse controlled by ministers and shamans to a scientific one produced by doctors and researchers. But this relatively new thesis elides how, as anthropologist Linda L. Barnes notes, “religious and medical practices often converge in that both deal with pain and suffering, birth and death, and sexuality, growth, and decay.” This points to an exciting new avenue for cultural studies scholarship that takes seriously the confluence of these ostensibly exclusive...

Dear colleagues, please find below the final programme of the Court Medicine conference, to be held at the London School of Economics (Old Building, Graham Wallas Room) next Thursday & Friday, 21-22 June, 2012. Research blog: http://courtmedicine.hypotheses.org/ Registration (free & compulsory): http://courtmedicine.hypotheses.org/conference-registration Presentation Court medical practitioners changed in numbers, occupations and functions during the Renaissance and early modern period (15c-18c) practitioners focused on different specialities within body-care, and took on different roles in the government of Europe’s states. Building on recent work that has concentrated on the history of body care at courts, this workshop will explores changes in court medical politics, practices and practitioners and the consequences they had for, firstly, medical thought, regulation and practice and, secondly, the activities, management and evolution of early modern states. Pr...

Dear colleagues, Some STEP members are putting together a research forum devoted to the study of the interactions and intersections of Science and Medicine, and their respective historiographies. You can see a more detailed description of our proposal here: http://www.uoa.gr/step/?q=node/773 If you might be interested in joining us, please contact any of the members of the Science X Medicine group, and send us an abstract describing your interests and current and future projects in the area of this research topic. Thanks! All the best, Josep ******************************** Josep Simon Institut de Recherches Philosophiques Université Paris Ouest 200, avenue de la République 92001 Nanterre, Bâtiment L e-mail: josicas@alumni.uv.es http://www.u-paris10.fr/jsp/fiche_annuaireksup.jsp?CODE=22715&LANGUE=0 http://www.ihmc.uv-csic.es/cv.php?id=14&idioma=Ing http://blocs.iec.cat/arban/en/ http://www.uoa.gr/step http://www.picker...

University of Leeds, School of Philosophy, Religion & History of Science Centre for History & Philosophy of Science Four AHRC Collaborative PhD Studentships in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine AHRC-funded PhD studentships are available from 1 October 2012 for collaborative research projects between the Centre for History and Philosophy of Science, University of Leeds , and major national institutions, including BT Archives, Action on Hearing Loss, and the National Institutional for Agricultural Botany (NIAB).  Expression of interest are also welcomed for a further studentship on each project for 2013-14. 1. Transforming Communications for the UK's Hearing Loss Community: From Auditory Barrier to Technological Assistance This project documents the twentieth-century development of communications technologies for the hard of hearing. It focuses especially on the extensive resources in BT archives on dialogue and collaborations betwee...