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The Institute of History of Mediterranean Europe (ISEM) of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), in collaboration with the IN-HOPPE network (International Network–Historical and osteoarchaeological Past Populations Exploration), is organising a congress on reactions and emotions in the face of epidemics in the pre-industrial age. This will be held in Naples, 4-6 June 2025. A flyer describing the conference's ambitions and goals can be found here: https://www.academia.edu/122177429. The conference organizers welcome interdisciplinary approaches to the topic of epidemics before the era of modern bacteriology. Papers may be presented in English, Italian, Spanish or French. The Scientific Committee consists of Isabella Cecchini (CNR-ISEM), Idamaria Fusco, (CNR-ISEM), Geraldine Granados Vasquez (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico), Monica Green (independent scholar), Geltrude Macrì (CNR – ISEM), Isabelle Séguy (Institut national d’études démographiques, Franc...

Epistemic diversity, understood broadly as the diversity of ways of approaching the study of a subject matter within an intellectual community, has been a topic of increasing interest for philosophers of science in the last ten-odd years. Building on this, the European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA) invites submissions of abstracts for its first-ever online seminar series, dedicated to investigating and promoting the epistemic diversity of European philosophy of science. A central aim of this seminar series will be to showcase historical figures, institutes, schools of thought, or themes that have shaped the discipline of philosophy of science in different regions of Europe and across time. In focusing on these various different ‘European philosophies of science’, EPSA strives to contribute to an increased awareness of intellectual traditions that have been overlooked or forgotten by the international philosophy-of-science community. We are particularly interested in rediscov...

The investigation into the appropriation of indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants has become a focal point for historians and anthropologists in past decades. Contrasting with triumphant narratives on the development of “modern science,” recent works have repositioned the history of knowledge within an economic and social context that acknowledges the asymmetric power relations between the West and the colonized worlds. However, most studies on colonial botany have concentrated on the early modern and modern period. The fate of bioprospection in the post-1880 era—a pivotal period marked by the industrialization of drug production—remains underexplored. This oversight might stem from the long-held belief that the years following 1880 marked a shift in Western history from plant-based to synthetic drugs—a perspective only recently questioned, yet without a corresponding reevaluation of how medicinal plants were appropriated thereafter. In contrast, environmental history has increasing...

We are delighted to announce the 6th Workshop on the History and Philosophy of Programming (HaPoP-6). We invite contributions on the history and philosophy of programming broadly understood, including different conceptual and practical aspects of programming, the relation of programming practices to other social and scientific practices, the aesthetics of programming, the development of programming languages and others. In addition to general aspects of programming, this year’s workshop will focus on conceptions of ‘fairness’ and ‘bias’ in the history and philosophy of programming. Practices of coding and the evaluation of computer programs have changed with the rise of machine learning and so-called ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI). The increasing automation of programming has led to questions about programming practices, transparency, and evaluative standards in programming in general. In particular, there has been an increasing concern with ‘fairness’ and ‘bias’ within a wide range of...