Hello all,
We hope you are having a decent week. Here's some news to catch you up on what is happening in the HPS program at the University of Melbourne.
1. HPS Seminar Series
Today's seminar is by Dr Sarah Walsh from our History program presenting on 'The Two Truths: "Harmonizing" Catholicism and Science'.
If you are around campus, please join us at 12pm in Old Art Room 239, North Lecture Theatre for what is sure to be a fascinating talk on the interconnections between eugenics and Catholicism in early-twentieth-century Chile.
You can read more about Sarah's research and approach to teaching in her interview for the University of Melbourne SHAPS Forum research blog, 'Confronting the History of Race and Empathy in the Classroom'.
To hear in advance about future seminar presentations, please sign up to the HPS Seminar Mailing List here.
2. HPS Book Celebration
Next week we are hosting an HPS Book Celebration to celebrate the recent publication of three books by Dr Jacinthe Flore, Dr John Wilkins & Rev Dr Stephen Ames.
If you can make it to campus, then please do join us for light refreshments and more great conversations!
Date: Wednesday 20th March, 4.15pm - 6.00pm
Venue: Arts Atrium (Ground Floor), Arts West Building, The University of Melbourne
RSVP: (for catering & calendar invite) https://events.humanitix.com/hps-book-celebration
Jacinthe Flore, The Artefacts of Digital Mental Health (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023).
The book aims to examine digital mental health through three artefacts that are defined by their ubiquity, everydayness, popularity, innovation and hype: smartphone apps, wearables devices, and ingestible sensors, which are at the centre of research, development, and investment in mental health and digitalization.
John Wilkins, Understanding Species (Cambridge University Press, 2023).
Are species worth saving? Can they be resurrected by technology? What is the use of species in biomedicine? These questions all depend on a clear definition of the concept of 'species', yet biologists have long struggled to define this term. This book provides an introduction to the concept of 'species' in biology, philosophy, ethics, policymaking and conservation.
Stephen Ames, A Strange Goodness? God and Natural Evil (ATF Press, 2024).
Many people find the suffering and death produced by natural processes like tsunamis, genetic disorders, and extreme weather events, and the evolutionary process leading to all living things on the planet good enough reason to decide not to believe in such a God. The book is an invitation to revisit that decision.
3. Welcome Carmelina to the Podcast Team!
If you haven't yet caught up on the introductory episode to Season 3, go ahead an do so now so you can hear the dulcet tones of the newest member of The HPS Podcast team, Carmelina Contarino. Carmelina is completing her Honours year in the program, while also helping edit, produce and host the podcast in 2024!
You can read more about Carmelina here.
4. Lorraine Daston and Peter Harrison Episode
Our first interview for the Podcast Season is already a hit! The episode with HPS luminaries, Professor Lorraine Daston and Professor Peter Harrison discussing their recent Aeon article on "The Missing conversation Between Scientists and Science Historians" has generated significant downloads and continues to receive great feedback.
From Yung En Chee: Such a delightful & wonderfully rich & insightful discussion between Lorraine Daston & Peter Harrison. Such a great listen, I'm cueing it up for a second listen.
From Thony Christie: Excellent discussion and right up my street as a historian of science.
From Lucia C. Neco: Just listened to the first episode of the hpspodcast.bsky.social season 3. Great discussion!
And from our own Fiona Fidler: What use is the history of science — or philosophy or sociology of science, for that matter—to scientists? Let this fabulous episode of hpspodcast.bsky.social answer your questions with Lorraine Daston & Peter Harrison. Brilliantly illustrated with egs from bio, evo, astronomy, cog sci
5. Next episode with Kate Lynch!
We are also exciting to announce (for your ears only) that tomorrow's podcast episode is an interview with our very Dr Kate Lynch on the topic of 'Causal Explanation in Science'. Make sure to download the great discussion from 5am AEDT.
Kate is no stranger to broadcasting. You can find more interviews with and by Kate on the ABC at the links below:
Thanks for reading and we hope you have a wonderful week,
From HPS@UniMelb
Comments