CfP: Verticality in science
Up, down, round and round: verticality in the history of science
Work on the
historical geographies of scientific knowledge is frequently presented
in a register of horizontal movement: circulation, diffusion, migration,
expansion; often coupled with the ‘flat’ ontologies
of actor-network theory, or with the historiographies of European
advance across two-dimensional maps of imperial geography. In this
session, we want to investigate what happens when we consider science in
three dimensions.
Political
geographers have recently urged more attention to the vertical as a
dimension of power (Braun, 2000; Elden, 2013), while cultural
geographers have explored questions of dwelling and elemental encounter
in atmospheric and subterranean spaces (Adey, 2015; Jackson &
Fannin, 2011). Drawing on this work, we suggest that the spatial turn in
the history of science might be furthered through deeper engagement
with questions of verticality. What are the particular
characteristics of the sciences of height, depth and volume? How have
scientists sought to overcome the epistemic, technical and bodily
challenges of working at height or at depth? What would it mean to
consider the field site as a three-dimensional space
(Kohler & Vetter, 2016)? How has scientific knowledge contributed
to the production of vertical territory – to the bounding of space and
the claiming of ownership, rights and dominion? How have the reference
frames of the vertical dimension been structured
and understood?
Papers in this
session could address these and related questions across field,
laboratory and theoretical science, as well as regards the scientization
of cultural and physical practices taking place in the
vertical. We welcome papers addressing any time period.
Please send inquiries and abstracts of around 200 words to Wilko Hardenberg (whardenberg@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.
PS. We are also reflecting about the opportunity to propose a further session at the meeting of the European Society for the History of Science (London,
15-17 September 2018), but no CfP has been issued
yet. Thus if you can't make it for Warsaw, but are still interested in
the topic and would like to give it a go for London, please let us know.
Contact Email: whardenberg@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.