University of Oxford - Workshop in the History of Science

'Crossing boundaries: Scientific knowledge and practices across cultural, geographical and disciplinary spaces'

Conveners: Professor Pietro Corsi, Dr Taha Yasin Arslan, Dr Raphaël Sandoz

Monday, 23 November 2015, 8.45am

Venue: Tanner room, Linacre College, St Cross Road, OX1 3JA Oxford

All welcome


Summary:

Scientific innovation has often been enabled by fruitful interplays between knowledge and
practices coming from various geographical and cultural origins. Borders, be they cultural,
geographical, institutional or disciplinary, play a double-edged role: on the one hand they
favour diversity, conferring distinct identities to multiple scientific traditions; on the other,
they may prevent transfer of ideas, methods and goals from one area to another. Yet, even
barbed-wired borders have never managed to seal knowledge practices – especially when
economically advantageous – from foreign consumption or contamination.
In this workshop, we would like to look into the phenomenon of crossing between scientific
traditions in several historical case studies. Inevitably, the discussion will also touch upon
borders, their permeable nature and problematic status.

Programme:

Chair: Dr Nicholas Fisher (University of Aberdeen)

08:45 – 09:00 Welcome and introductory words

09:00 – 10:00 Keynote: ‘Disciplines and Interdisciplinarity: On the Evolution of the Structure of Science’
Professor Rudolph Stichweh (Dahrendorf Professur, Universität Bonn & Direktor des Forums Internationale Wissenschaft)

10:05 – 10:35 ‘Linguistic barriers’
Professor Pietro Corsi (Professor of the History of Science, University of Oxford)

10:40 – 11:10 ‘The structure of disciplinary revolutions’
Dr Raphaël Sandoz (Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Oxford)

Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:00 ‘Journey of Timekeeping: From Mamluks to Ottomans’
Dr Taha Yasin Arslan (Istanbul Medeniyet University)

12:05 – 12:35 ‘Between England and Morocco: mathematics, trade and material culture in 1600’
Dr Stephen Johnston (Museum of the History of Science, Oxford)