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STS Seminar Series 2011-12 Department of Science and Technology Studies University College London All seminars take place at 5.00pm Venue: Galton Lecture Theatre, 1-19 Torrington Place http://www.ucl.ac.uk/locations/ucl-maps Monday 24 October Andrew Janiak (Duke University) "Isaac Newton's conception of absolute space: a new hypothesis." Isaac Newton's distinction in /Principia mathematica/ between what he calls the absolute and the relative conceptions of space, time and motion is well known today and was highly influential historically. In part, Newton presented the distinction in order to succeed where Descartes's physics had failed, namely in providing a conception of space and time that coheres with the facts about motion expressed by the laws of nature. But as it turns out, Newton actually began to develop his conception of absolute space in 1680-81 while attempting to articulate a view of space and of motion that could accommodate theological and religious texts. The drafts of the /Principia/ from 1684-85 show signs of this same concern, as does an otherwise puzzling statement in the /Principia/ itself. The new hypothesis is that Newton's conception of space was actually developed to deal with theological and religious issues, and then, remarkably, emerged later as precisely the view that Newton would require for his physics. Forthcoming seminars: Monday 14 November Matt Spencer (Goldsmiths Centre for Cultural Studies, University of London) Representation, Simulation and the Epistemic Thing Monday 28 November Thomas Rose (Fachhochschule Muenster, Germany/ STS Honorary Associate) The Attitude of Trade Unions towards Science Monday 12 December Bill MacLehose (STS, UCL) The Sliding Scale of Sleep in The Middle Ages -- Dr. Chiara Ambrosio Teaching Fellow in Philosophy of Science Department of Science and Technology Studies University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT Tel. (+44) 02076790166 http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/staff/ambrosio http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/ http://www.ucl.ac.uk/basc/