International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology … · 2019-03-22 · International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology

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Planning Intensifies for 2003 Meeting in Vienna

the Student Advisory Committee, and the 2007 SiteSelection Committee. Their members are listed onpage 2.

Todd Grantham chairs the Membership DevelopmentCommittee, and they have been active in developinga membership flyer that can be printed and taken tomeetings. Give a copy to a friend and spread them

International Society for the History,Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology

NEWSLETTER

Fall 2002 Twenty-sixth Issue Volume 14, No. 2

President’s Semiannual Report

The ISHPSSB activities in the last few monthsinclude continuing to plan for ISHPSSB 2003 inVienna, finalizing appointments of committees, andselection of a new web master.

ISH03 Program Chair Rob Skipper and I visitedVienna in July 2003 and met with our local hostsfrom the Konrad Lorenz Institute, Werner Callebaut,Gerd Muller, and Astrid Juette. They were veryhelpful, and we appreciate all their time andhospitality. The venue for the meeting is a sectionof the University of Vienna, known as the “AltesAKH” (pronounced “ahltes ah ka hah”). You willsee that name on city maps just outside the ring roadand on signs on the many bike paths. It is a campus-like setting with linked courtyards of buildingssurrounding green space; in the middle of some ofthe courtyards are benches to sit down, small beergarden restaurants, and even a small supermarketwith a deli counter for sandwiches. It will be a verypleasant oasis for our meeting in the midst of a vibrant,beautiful, historic city. Check out the new link on theISHPSSB web page with details about hotels, siteseeing, visa requirements, and after-conference tours.I will have more to say about Vienna plans and venuesin the spring Newsletter.

Three new committees have been established andpopulated: the Membership Development Committee,

Contents

New Committee Members: 2; 2007 Site Selection: 3; Travel Contributions Requested: 3;Marjorie Grene Prize: 4; ISHPSSB 2003 Vienna Program: 6-7;Calls for Participants, Contributors, Papers: 8-10; Dibner Event: 10-11; Websites of Interest: 11;Council Addresses: 12

Continued on next page.

Workshops at the KLI often commence by filling the main hall.Photo from KLI website.

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around when you attend appropriate meetings. Also,Todd arranged for a table at the HSS/PSA meetings inMilwaukee to be staffed by ISHPSSB grad students(with help from Terry Sullivan) where membershipflyers will be distributed. Also, he designed an ad forthe program. The committee is discussing ways tomake the Society better known to prospectivemembers; send any ideas you may have on this to Todd<[email protected]>.

Now is the time for invitations to host 2007 to besubmitted to Michael Dietrich; the deadline isDecember 1, 2002. The location should complementthe ISH03 Vienna, Austria, and the ISH05 Guelph,Canada, venues. See the guidelines printed on theISHPSBB web page.

Valerie Hardcastle served the Society well aswebmaster from 1998 to 2002. She designed andmaintained a very professional page that memberscontinue to find quite useful. Rob Skipper hasgraciously agreed to serve as the next web master. Hewill, of course, have much to do on the web as ProgramChair for ISH03, but he has also agreed to continue aswebmaster after that meeting is over. The URL willnot change for the time being. Our sincere thanks toValerie and Rob for their work on this important anddemanding job.

Now that Keith Benson is living in Washington, DC,he and I meet about once a month to discuss ISHPSSBbusiness, from my perspective, a pleasant occasion.Happily he is willing and able to continue as ISHPSSB

Treasurer, despite his new duties at the NationalScience Foundation. He will be returning to his homein the other Washington about once a month and thusthat address is the one he is using for ISHPSSBbusiness.

Check out the Program Bulletin Board on the web pageand begin thinking about sessions to propose forISH03. The deadline for abstracts and sessionproposals to Rob Skipper is February 1, 2003. Theprogram will be finalized by March 1, and those whosepapers are accepted must register by April 1 to beincluded on the program. This procedure is neededbecause in the past some people sent abstracts but wereunable to attend the meeting and entire sessionscollapsed. So please keep these dates in mind. It willbe a good idea to reserve your hotel space as soon as

you are sure you arecoming, as Vienna is a busytourist city in July (see thenew link on the web page tothe agent handling hotelreservations and the optionsfrom luxury to inexpensive).

SEE YOU IN VIENNA FORISH03, JULY 16-20!

ISHPSSB PresidentLindley Darden. Photofrom University ofMaryland web pages.

New and Improved ISHPSSB CommitteesISHPSSB 2001-2003 Membership DevelopmentCommitteeTodd Grantham, Chair <[email protected]>Rob Skipper <[email protected]>Thomas Potthast <[email protected]>Michelle Little <[email protected]>Jason Robert <[email protected]>Kenneth Reisman <[email protected]>Ida H. Stamhuis <[email protected]>

ISHPSSB 2001-2003 Student Advisory CommitteeTerry Sullivan, Chair <[email protected]>Vivette Garcia Deister <[email protected]>John Emrich <[email protected]>Catherine Kendig <[email protected]>Christina Matta <[email protected]>Scott Thomson <[email protected]>Jason Zinser <[email protected]>

ISHPSSB 2007 Site Selection Committee:Michael Dietrich, President-Elect, Chair<[email protected]>Jane Maienschein <[email protected]>Jessica Pfeiffer <[email protected]>

ISHPSSB 2003 Program Committee:Werner Callebaut <[email protected]>Heather Douglas <[email protected]>Joan Fujimura <[email protected]>Christiane Groeben <[email protected]>Tom Kane <[email protected]>Michael Lynch <[email protected]>Phil Sloan <[email protected]>Betty Smocovitis <[email protected]>

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The site selection committee, composed of MichaelDietrich (chair), Jane Maienschein, and Jessica Pfeifer,invites proposals to host the 2007 meeting for ISHPSSB.

Guidelines for proposals are on the Society’s website< h t t p : / / w w w . p h i l . v t . e d u / i s h p s s b /inviteguide.html>. Proposals must address costs,accessibility of the meeting site for internationaltravelers, meeting space, accommodations, meals,coffee breaks, and informal gatherings for ca. 250-350people, personnel, and resources available to performthe clerical and organizational jobs, and wheelchairaccess (which is specifically required by a vote of theSociety’s membership).

Because the Society wishes to rotate the venues of its

This paragraph is addressed to members of the Societywho have steady employment. Many presentationsat the 2003 Vienna meeting will be made by studentsand independent scholars, people with limited

economic resources and limited access to support fortheir participation in the meeting.

We urgently need contributions to our travel fund,which is used to facilitate attendance by students and,if we have the margin, needy independent scholars.A few generous members are able to make sizable

The courtyards between buildings at the University of Viennainclude beer gardens and places for casual conversation. Photoby Lindley Darden.

Site Selection for 2007 Proposal Deadline Approachesmeetings so as to provide members from differentregions opportunity for access to the meetings, we willtake into account whether proposed sites complementthe most recent venues, specifically Seattle, Oaxaca,Quinnipiac, Vienna, and Guelph.

Any questions regarding proposals or the site selectionprocess should be directed toMichael DietrichDepartment of Biological SciencesDartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755(603) 646-1389, FAX (603) 646-1347<[email protected]>

DEADLINE for proposals is December 15, 2002.

Student Travel Funding Depends on Your Contributions

donations, but the proportion of members contributingto the travel fund has slipped. You can give at anytime — and every contribution matters! In spite ofour limited resources, this fund makes an enormous

difference. By attracting new members to themeetings, travel grants contribute importantly tothe long-term existence of our society andencourage the scholarship and research that we aimto foster. Your generous contributions, all of whichwill be greatly appreciated, should be sent to thesociety’s treasurer, Keith Benson, 13423 Burma Rd.SW, Vashon Island, WA 98070, USA.

For your convenience, we accept donations throughthe web site by following the membership link andsimply designating your contribution.

Students and independent scholars should alsocontact Keith Benson by April 1, 2003, regardingexact procedures for applying for travel assistance.A committee representing our diverse membershipwill award funds. Further details follow in theTravel Award policy adopted recently.

ISHPSSB Graduate Student Travel Policy

Adopted 2002

In general, ISHPSSB endorses a graduate student travelpolicy that provides at least partial funding for alleligible graduate students, rather than full funding for


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only a few graduate students. To implement thispolicy, the following criteria should be considered inmaking travel awards.

1. The first priority is to fund students presentingpapers at the biennial conference or participating inISHPSSB governance. 2. The second priority is to provide funding forstudents who have never received previous funding. 3. The third priority is to provide funding for studentswho did not receive funding at the previous ISHPSSBmeeting.

The exact amount of funding provided by ISHPSSB,recognizing that the Society cannot provide completefunding for all graduate students, shall be calculatedby the ISHPSSB treasurer with the following criteriaas guidelines. * total amount of ISHPSSB funding available * relative cost of travel from home to site of meeting * ability of participant to provide additional resourcesfor travel (allowance for distinctive differences instandards of living)

Additionally, all graduate students will be expectedto supplement the travel award at a comparable levelregardless of funding provided by ISHPSSB. Thus, iftravel costs andawards fromEurope to theconference site are$750, while travelcosts and awardsfrom the US are$450, the studentsin both cases willbe expected tobear anequivalent shareof the additionalexpenses (forexample, ifa d d i t i o n a lexpenses amountto $150, in bothcases the studentswill be expectedto assume thosecharges).

Society Looks to AwardMarjorie Grene Prize

ISHPSSB seeks submissions for the 2003 MarjorieGrene Prize. This prize is intended to advance thecareers of younger scholars, and will be awarded tothe best manuscript based on a presentation at one ofthe two previous ISHPSSB meetings (Oaxaca orQuinnipiac) by someone who was, at the time ofpresentation, a graduate student.

It is very appropriate for ISHPSSB to name this prizein Marjorie Grene’s honor. Not only does her work inthe history and philosophy of biology exemplify thestrong spirit of interdisciplinary work fundamental toISHPSSB, but she played a central role in bringingtogether diverse scholars of biology even before theformation of the Society. She has been a valued mentorto many members of the Society and a long-standinginspiration to all.

The award will consist of a certificate and up to $200toward expenses incurred in attending the 2003meeting of the Society. If the manuscript is not alreadyunder review by a journal, the prize committee willpromote the winning entry to one of the leadingjournals.

Submissions should be in the form of a paper preparedfor submission to a professional journal, with anindication of the journal in question. Hardcopysubmissions must include three complete copies of thepaper and be mailed no later than February 1, 2003.Electronic copies, in Microsoft Word or text onlyformat, must be emailed no later than February 8, 2003.The winning entry will be announced by April 15, 2003.

Send manuscripts to: Kelly Smith, Department ofPhilosophy and Religion, Clemson University, 113Holtzendorff Hall, Clemson, SC 29634-2508, USA,<[email protected]>, (864) 656-5366.

The winner’s name will be engraved on a plaque, alongwith previous winners. The plaque will travel to thewinner’s home institution for the duration of thebiennium.

Benches line the walkways aroundthe University of Vienna, whereISHPSSB members will meet in2003. Photo by Lindley Darden.

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CALL FOR PAPERS: ISHPSSB 2003

International Society for History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology

Where: Vienna University, Vienna Austria

When: July 16-20, 2003

The ISHPSSB Program Committee welcomes proposals for individual papers and sessions on topicsrelated to all facets of the history, philosophy, and social studies of biology.

Forms for submitting proposals will be available on the World Wide Web, July 16, 2002 at

http://www.phil.vt.edu/ishpssb/submissions/program.html

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: FEBRUARY 1, 2003

While participants are strongly encouraged to submit proposals for Panels, Roundtables, Discussion Sessions,or innovative and experimental sessions, individual papers are welcome as well. All Proposals must includean organizer and his or her address, including an e-mail address.

There will be some travel funds available to support graduate students presenting papers at the conference.For further information about available funding, please contact Keith Benson, 13423 Burma Rd. SW, VashonIsland, WA 98070, USA; <[email protected]>.

The International Society for History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB) brings togetherscholars from diverse disciplines, including the life sciences as well as history, philosophy, and social studiesof science. ISHPSSB summer meetings are known for innovative, transdisciplinary sessions, and for fosteringinformal, co-operative exchanges and on-going collaborations.

For further information consult the ISHPSSB web pages at http://www.phil.vt.edu/ishpssb/.

Contact Rob Skipper, ISHPSSB Program Chair 2003, Department of Philosophy, University of Cincinnati,206 McMicken Hall, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0374 USA; Phone: (513) 556-6340; Fax: (513) 556-2939; email:[email protected].

ISHPSSB 2003 Program Committee: Werner Callebaut (Philosophy, Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolutionand Cognition Research and Department of Sciences at Limburgs Universitair Centrum,[email protected]), Heather Douglas (Philosophy, University of Puget Sound, [email protected]),Joan Fujimura (Sociology, University of Wisconsin, [email protected]), Christiane Groeben (History,Stazione Zoologica, [email protected]), Tom Kane (Biology, University of Cincinnati,[email protected]), Michael Lynch (STS, Cornell University, [email protected]), Phil Sloan (History,University of Notre Dame, [email protected]), Betty Smocovitis (History, University of Florida,[email protected]).

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Update from the ISHPSSB 2003 Program Bulletin Board

Further updates can be found at: <http://oz.uc.edu:8000/~skippera>

The pages contain someimportant information, plusonline forms for submitting ideas(a Program Bulletin Board),papers (Individual Paper forms),and sessions (Session Proposalforms). Check back regularly orcontact Rob Skipper for moreinformation.

Submissions to the BulletinBoard to date include thefollowing proposals:

Ecology Transformed

Ed Hackett <[email protected]>

I’d like to organize, co-organizeor take part in a sessionconcerned with recent changes in the socialorganization, theoretical foundations, policyconnections and practices of ecology. I come to thetopic through a study of research groups in variousfields of science, some empirical work at the NationalCenter for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in SantaBarbara, and participation in an LTER.

Others working on ecology??

Research Integrity and the Practice of BiomedicalScience

Fred Grinnell<[email protected]> andRivers Singleton <[email protected]>

Issues concerning integrity in biomedical science havebecome prominent in the international researchcommunity and raise questions about how thecommunity should respond. The United Statesresponse has been primarily pedagogical as typifiedby the National Institutes of Health mandate to teach“the proper conduct of biomedical research.” RiversSingleton and Fred Grinnell, both Americanbiomedical researchers who are interested in thephilosophy of practice of science and who teach aboutresearch integrity, would like to organize a workshopon integrity in biomedical science. A major workshopgoal is to gain an international perspective on thesubject and to explore ways that “practice of science”

and science education can illuminateissues of integrity in biomedicine.Consequently, we seek suggestions andpotential contributions fromcounterparts in both the US and othercountries. — Interested participantsshould reply to either Fred Grinnell orRivers Singleton. When responding toone individual, please Cc the otherproposer.

Bio-Adversity: ESA at 30

Mark Madison<[email protected]>

2003 marks the thirtieth anniversary ofthe Endangered Species Act an ongoingexperiment to outlaw extinction. Severalspecies have attracted more controversy

than others due to cultural preconceptions,environmental assumptions, or changes in the lifesciences. Snail darters, Northern spotted owls, grizzlybears come quickly to mind as species that are perhapsmore difficult to restore than say ducks, elk, or bison.We would like to examine some of these morecontroversial cases (e.g., captive breeding, non-charismatic species, large predators) as a means toillustrate the difficulties inherent in appliedconservation biology.

Issues in Sociocultural Evolution

Marion Blute <[email protected]> and SigridGlenn

It is well known that evolutionary theory has beenextending its reach beyond the biological and into thesocial sciences including specifically linguistics, scienceand technology studies, institutional economics,archeology, and the sociology of organizations forexample. Darwinism (in the general theory, analogousor memetic sense) holds great promise for helpingsocial scientists understand how constraints, chance,the weight of history and the forces of selectioncombine to explain the existing array of cultural andsocial forms. At the same time it raises a whole hostof issues about the logic of functional analysis in thiscontext; mechanisms of inheritance; units, levels andthe evolution of complexity; the relationship among


Vienna 2003 Program Chair and newweb master Rob Skipper. Photo fromUniversity of Cincinnati web pages.

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evolutionary and other kinds of principles; and theprevalence of competition, conflict and cooperation forexample — many of which are familiar from biologicaltheory and research but others which are unique tothe social sciences or even to one or more of its manyspecialized branches. Participation is solicited for oneor more sessions which explore issues in socioculturalevolution.

Biology Education: Critical Perspectives andApproaches

Charbel El-Hani <[email protected]> and SteveFifield <[email protected]>

We invite papers that examine biology educationfrom historical, philosophical, sociocultural andother critical perspectives. Potential topics include(but are not limited to) using the history, philosophy,and sociocultural studies of biology in biologyteaching; reshaping the goals, practices, and effectsof biology education using perspectives fromscience studies; and historical, philosophical, andsociocultural studies of biology education.

Objectivities in Biology

Heather Douglas <[email protected]>

In the early 1990s, a series of historical pieces byauthors such as Daston, Galison, and Porter madeclear that the view of what constituted objectivityhas shifted, or accreted new meanings on top of old,over the past few centuries. This session would explorethe different senses or aspects of objectivity expressedor pursued in the biological sciences, and how thoseaspects have shifted as the history of biology hasunfolded.

Environmental Values/Bio


Historically, new insights in ecology and field biologyhave influenced environmental views and values, butmany ecologists now complain that environmentalistsare ignoring developments in science. For example,environmentalists often still point to mature old-growth forests as deserving of special protectionbecause they are the “endpoint” or climax stage offorest development, despite the rejection of this viewby current ecological theory. This panel would lookat mutual constructions and interactions betweenenvironmentalism and biology both historically andin recent case studies.

Biology in Policy-making


Reliance on biological science for the making of policyhas never been greater, particularly as more emphasisis placed on the understanding of biologicalmechanisms for shaping policy. However, such useraises multiple issues, including 1) what role biologistsshould play in the policy-making context, 2) what theimplications are for the use of biology in policy-making, 3) where and whether a science/policy

distinction should be drawn (IF it can be clearlydemarcated). This panel would explore thesequestions, offering comparisons among differentnational contexts.

Social Values in Biology


While the negative influence of social values on thedevelopment of biological sciences is quite famous(Lysenkoism, sexist reproductive theories, etc.),whether and how social values play a positive role inbiology has been less explored. This panel would aimto begin filling in that gap, addressing questions suchas: 1) How have social values helped spur thedevelopment of biological theories? 2) How havesocial values spurred or directed the focus of newdiscoveries? 3) Do these social values eventually get“weeded out” or do they remain a part of biologyindefinitely?

The Lorenz Mansion at the KLI viewed from the garden. Photofrom KLI website.

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Call for Participants

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)is funding a 5-week institute, from Monday, June 23,2003 to Friday, July 25, 2003, on “Science and Values,”directed by Sandra D. Mitchell and Peter K. Machamerat the University of Pittsburgh. The participants willinvestigate the various roles values play in scientifictheory and practice. The idea that scientific objectivityis “value free” will be contrasted with claims for thenecessity of social values. Visiting lecturers are PaulGriffiths, Hugh Lacey, Dominic Murphy, KristenSchrader-Frechette, and Alison Wylie. By NEHregulations, attendance is limited to U.S. citizens ornon-citizens with at least 3 years residence in the U.S.Those attending the conference will receive a stipendof $3,250 to cover their travel and boarding costs.Thirty college and university teachers will be selectedto attend. For more information on the Science andValues Institute and application materials, please visitthe website at <http://www.pitt.edu/~pkmach/valuesci.htm> or e-mail <[email protected]>.

Call for Contributors

Biographical Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century BritishScientists (Thoemmes Press). Contributors sought towrite entries for three of the subject areas: Botany,Natural History, and Illustration. Contributors of smallentries of 600 words or less receive 35 pounds ($50), ofmedium entries of 600-2,500 words receive 60 pounds($85), and of large entries of 2,500-4,000 words receive100 pounds ($140). To find out which entries are stillopen, interested and qualified scholars should contactSuzanne Le-May Sheffield <[email protected]> forIllustration; John Waller <[email protected]> or SamAlberti <[email protected]> for Natural History;and Richard Bellon <[email protected]> orPeter Stevens <[email protected]> for Botany.You can see a list of Botany entries at: <http://www.tc.umn.edu/~bello012/Botany.htm>.

Calls for Papers

Biomolecules

We would like to invite you to contribute to AncientBiomolecules. Ancient Biomolecules encompassesall types of biomolecule and the

methodologies used in their investigation.Particular emphasis is placed on papers addressingeither or both of two broad topics: factorsinfluencing the preservation or decay ofbiomolecules in ancient materials, and theexploitation of ancient biomolecules inunderstanding the biological past.

Ancient Biomolecules particularly welcomes papersoutlining: the discovery of previously undetectedbiomolecules in ancient materials, thecharacterization of biomolecular decay products,decay pathways, explanations of the observedstability of biomolecules unpredicted by in vitroexperiments. Equally welcome are studies on:human evolution, migration and past socialorganization, the origins and evolution ofdomesticated animals and plants, the identificationof biomolecular markers for disease organisms,biomolecules carrying stable isotope signals, isotopedating studies, chemosystematic, chemotaxonomicand phylogenetic studies, or the description ofancient biospheres.

Other Organizations Seek ISHPSSB Member Input

The main hall at KLI welcomes visitors. Photo from KLI website.


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For further details on how to submit a paper, pleasevisit: <http://www.tandf.co.uk/newtandf/authors/g-authors/461/461-nfc.htm>. Please submit a 200-word abstract of your paper by e-mail as soon aspossible. Completed papers (three copies) should besent to the Editor Terry Brown<[email protected]>, Department ofBiochemistry & Applied Molecular Biology, UMIST,M60 1QD UK. Rejected manuscripts will not normallybe returned. To receive table of contents alerts for thistitle, please visit: <http://www.tandf.co.uk/sara>

Historical Biology

We would like to invite you to contribute to HistoricalBiology. Historical Biology provides a vehicle fordevelopments in the sciences concerned with thehistory of life through geological time and the biologyof past organisms, and seeks to encourage a diversityof approaches in this rapidly expanding field. Itemphasizes modern and controversial topics. Its rangeincludes paleobiology, paleoethology,paleobiogeography, evolutionary processes andpatterns, molecular paleontology, extinction,phenomena, taphonomy, and aspects of geology,geochemistry and geophysics that have a directbearing on paleobiological questions.

For further details on how to submit a paper, pleasevisit: <http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/authors/g-authors/357/357-nfc.htm>. Please submit a 200-wordabstract of your paper by e-mail as soon as possible.Completed papers (three copies) should be sent to theEditors Richard Boyd and David Martill at thefollowing: Roger D.K. Thomas<[email protected]>, Franklin andMarshall College, Department of Geosciences, PO BOX3003, PA, 17604-3003 USA; David Martill<[email protected]>, Department ofGeosciences, University of Portsmouth, BurnabyBuilding, Burnaby Road, PO1 3QL UK.. Rejectedmanuscripts will not normally be returned. To receivetable of contents alerts for this title, please visit: <http://www.tandf.co.uk/sara>.

“Encoding Altruism: The Art and Science of InterstellarMessage Composition.”

On March 23-24, 2003, the second in a series ofinternational workshops on interstellar messagedesign will be held in Paris. The workshop will focuson two broad themes: first, the interface of art, science,and technology in interstellar message design; andsecond, how to communicate concepts of altruism ininterstellar messages. Papers addressing other topicsrelated to interstellar message construction will be

considered on a space available basis. For detailedinformation, see <http://publish.seti.org/art_science/2003>. Participation is by invitation only.Each potential participant should send a 200-wordabstract of his/her proposed paper and either a c.v./resume or a URL describing professional backgroundto <[email protected]> no later than December 1, 2002.The workshop is sponsored by The SETI Institute;Leonardo/OLATS (Leonardo Observatory for the Artsand TechnoSciences); The John Templeton Foundation;The International Society for the Arts, Sciences andTechnology; and The International Academy ofAstronautics Permanent SETI Study Group.

Southwest Colloquium in the History and Philosophyof the Life Sciences

Sponsored by Arizona State University (Departmentof Biology, Program in Biology and Society) and theUniversity of Texas at Austin (Program in the Historyand Philosophy of Science).

The Southwest Colloquium in the History andPhilosophy of the Life Sciences is a newly establishedannual event that includes a one day Graduate StudentSymposium and a one day Faculty/Graduate StudentWorkshop devoted to a specific topic that will be heldon alternating years at Arizona State University andthe University of Texas, Austin.

The annual Graduate Student Symposium will takeplace on a Friday and will feature presentations bygraduate students on any topic in the history andphilosophy of the life sciences, although preferencewill be given to papers that are related to the topic ofthe Faculty/Graduate Student Workshop. Allsubmissions will be subject to peer review. There willbe a Keynote Address by an outstanding researcher inthe evening. The Keynote Speaker will also participatein the Faculty/Graduate Student Workshop.

The keynote speaker for next year’s meeting at ArizonaState University is renowned environmental historianAlfred Crosby (Prof. emeritus, University of Texas atAustin).

The Faculty/Graduate Student Workshop will takeplace on Saturday and will focus on a different topicin the history and philosophy of the life sciences eachyear. Workshop papers will be pre-circulated and eachwill have one or more commentators. The topic fornext year’s meeting, to be held at ASU Feb. 21-22 is“Historical and Philosophical Issues in ConservationBiology.”


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Deadline for submission of abstracts is December 1st2002. Abstracts can be submitted to either one of theorganizers. Abstracts of graduate students will beconsidered for both events.

Limited Funds are available to support graduatestudent travel to attend the meeting. For moreinformation please contact Manfred Laubichler<[email protected]> or Sahotra Sarkar<[email protected]>.

Position Announcement:Vilas Professorship

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee invitesapplications and nominations for the prestigious VilasProfessorship in the Humanities. In seeking to fill theVilas Professorship, our preference is to recruitsomeone whose scholarly achievements are in modernculture (e.g., literature, cultural studies, intellectualhistory, film/media, performance studies). Specialtyis less important than the qualities the candidate willbring to the university community.

The Vilas Professorship affords generous research andtravel support to a scholar who will continue toproduce extraordinary, significant, and vital researchand publication, and who will provide intellectualleadership within the humanities and the university.

Applications will be reviewed beginning November15, 2002 and will continue until the position is filled.

Applications and nominations should be addressedto: Professor Jane Gallop, Chair, Vilas SearchCommittee, Department of English, University ofWisconsin-Milwaukee, Box 413, Milwaukee, Wisconsin53201.

UWM is an AA/EO employer and educator stronglycommitted to maintaining a climate supportingequality of opportunity and respect for differencebased on gender, culture, ethnicity, disability, sexualorientation, marital status, race, color, religion, nationalorigin or ancestry, age and lawful activities. Weparticularly encourage applications from individualswho would enhance and diversify our work force.

Editor’s Note: Although it may not be evident that sciencestudies falls within the ambit of the search, the committee isexcited to attract qualified candidates from our field.

Dibner Institute SupportsResearch on the Business

of LifeThe Dibner Institute held its seminar in the History ofBiology at the Marine Biological Laboratory in WoodsHole, Massachusetts, May 15-22, 2002, to study “TheBusiness of Life: Life Sciences in the TwentiethCentury.” John Beatty, James Collins, and JaneMaienschein co-organize this series of history ofbiology programs, and this year Rachel Ankeny andNicholas Rasmussen coordinated the week-longseminar.

The group explored a range of collaborations acrossthe life sciences and industries through the century,asking questions about the complex relations amongscientists, the research they do, funding sources, andthe businesses that they support and are supportedby. What counts as a life science, and what isbiotechnology, John Ceccati asked in his look at thebrewing industry, taking us from “Beer toBioetchnology and Back Again.” Ceccati’s laboratorydemonstrations added a new dimension to thescholarly discussions. John Perkins looked at thepolitics and business of environmental protection andresources management, focusing on the science andpolitics of yield assessments and their implications.

Peter Neushul introduced us to mariculture as anexample of technology transfer, or in this case astechnology non-transfer since the technology that isso successful in Asia has found only small support inthe United States. He asked why, and what this tellsus about the science, the technology, and our socialand policy responses — or lack thereof. WilliamSummers asked what is an industry, and whatrelationships have developed over time betweenbacteriology and industry, with what restraints andwhat values? Sarah Jansen looked at pests: what is apest, who says, on what grounds, and what do theydo about it? She pointed to pest control as a form ofhygiene, parallel in some important ways to otherhygiene studies and movements in the first half of thetwentieth century. Nick Rasmussen brought ushormones, and the grinding up of animal organs tofind and produce hormones. How many people knewthat the Armour Company produced hormones andhormone research alongside its hot dogs?

Joanthan Simon focused on cancer andchemotherapies, post WW II and conceptualized as a“war” or “attack” on this disease. Relations ofcuriosity-driven and mission-oriented research, public


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interests and public funding, rapidly expandingpharmaceutical interests, all within changing socialand political contexts revealed this as a tremendouslyrich topic. Rachel Ankeny and Robert Cook-Deganbrought us the Human Genome Project and itsassumptions and implications, and Charles Weinerlooked at the recombinant DNA debates in Cambridge,Massachusetts, in the 1970s as related and as helpingto set the stage for reactions to thegenome project.

This seminar, far from presenting aclosed set of polished papers, servedto introduce the complexities andopportunities of study of these richinteractions between the life sciencesand industry. “Funding” of science isnot just money; rather venture capitaland grants and contracts are all quitedifferent and have vastly differentgoals for the researchers acceptingthem. Historians of the life scienceswould benefit, we realized, from closerattention to economic and businesshistory. National and local contextsmatter, of course, but so do the globalreaches of international companies andinterests. The life sciences may not bedifferent from technology or thephysical sciences in many ways, butinsofar as they are about us and carrydifferent health and safety concerns,and insofar as industry begins to work with bioticproducts and to change life, new questions arise.Historians have only begun to realize what thesequestions might be, and there is great opportunity toexplore them. Let us not leave all the social and ethicalimplications to bioethicists, the group decided, but

rather include studies of the changing bioethicalcontext and implications in our historical studies.

One message to graduate students and youngerscholars is this: here is a huge area ripe and rich forstudy. We need historians to take up the challenge,and to be willing to carry out the serious scholarlyhistorical study as well as to engage the larger world

that is interested in issues of biotechnology, industry,and the life sciences. This seminar began thatdiscussion. If people want to participate in the nextround of thinking together, contact Chris Young<[email protected]> about possible sessions at variousfuture meetings.

Websites of InterestThe Virtual Laboratory, a new website devoted to the experimentalization of life, is online. It collects and presentstexts and images concerning various aspects of the experimentalization of life, such as instruments, experiments,sites, and people. Moreover, it contains a special essay section where historians publish and discuss their researchon experimentation in the life sciences, art, and technology. Visit <http://vlp.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de>. Formore information, email <[email protected]>

International Union of History and Philosophy of Science Online. You might be interested in the new web site of theDivision of History of Science of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science. You can find itat: <http://ppp.unipv.it/dhs>. The site includes information about the Division, a selection of internet links,news and a Database of Historians of Science. It is possible to register yourself in the database by filling in aform (available on the web), specifying institution, mailing address, and fields of interest. Submitted by FabioBevilacqua, Assistant Secretary of DHS

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Lindley Darden, PresidentDepartment of PhilosophyUniversity of Maryland, College ParkCollege Park, MD 20742 USA(301) [email protected]

Michael Dietrich, President-ElectDepartment of Biological SciencesDartmouth CollegeHanover, NH 03755 USA(603) [email protected]

Keith Benson, Treasurer and Membership13423 Burma Rd. SWVashon Island, WA 98070 USA(206) [email protected]

Chris Young, Secretary1316 N Astor StMilwaukee, WI 53202-2824 USA(414) [email protected]

Rob Skipper, Program OfficerDepartment of PhilosophyPO Box 210374University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH 45221-0374 USA(513) [email protected]

Terry Sullivan, StudentRepresentative335 West Doty StMadison, WI 53703-3106 [email protected]

Ex Officio Member of Council:Pamela Henson, ArchivistInstitutional History DivisionSmithsonian InstitutionArchivesWashington, DC 20560-0414(202) [email protected]

For additional counciladdresses, contact Chris Young.

Dick Burian, Past-PresidentVirginia Tech, [email protected]

Council through 2005Ana BarahonaUNAM, [email protected]

Christiane GroebenStatione Zoologica, [email protected]

Hans-Jörg RheinbergerMax Plank Institut, [email protected]

Council through 2003Jane MaienscheinArizona State University, [email protected]

Gregg MitmanUniv. of Wisc.-Madison, [email protected]

Lenny MossUniversity of Notre Dame, [email protected]

Are you subscribed to the ISHPSSB Listserv <ISHPSB-L>?If not, you may have missed information posted for members, which became outdated by the time this Newlsetterwent to print. Subscribe now online by following the instructions here:

You can subscribe to ISHPSSB’s Listserv list by sending the following message:

SUBSCRIBE ISHPSB-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname

to

[email protected]

Do not include any other information in the message as it is not necessary. An example of the message is, if yourname is Gregor Mendel:

SUBSCRIBE ISHPSB-L Gregor Mendel

Don’t forget to check updates online:

http://www.phil.vt.edu/ishpssb/

Deadline for Spring 2003 Newsletter: March 15, 2003 Contact Chris Young

International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology … · 2019-03-22 · International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology

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