The Loose Canon

The History of Science Reading Group discusses the canonical literature in the history of science. This group is primarily for graduate students, faculty, staff, and advanced undergraduates who are interested in science historiography. The group will trace the great history of science authors from the early nineteenth century until present. We hope that the group will offer a low-stress space to explore the subject and to informally exchange strategies for surviving graduate school. The group meets on the first Thursday of each month at noon in Common Grounds Coffee House.

The reading list is as follows:

3 September: Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences (selected pages)
1 October: Koyre, From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe
5 November: Butterfield, The Origins of Modern Science
3 December: Dijksterhuis, The Mechanization of the World Picture
7 January: Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
4 February: Shapin, Leviathan and the Air-Pump
3 March: Shapin, The Scientific Revolution
7 April: Latour, Science in Action
5 May: Barrera-Osorio, Experiencing Nature

All books are available through the UC Berkeley Graduate Student Library, so there is no cost associated with participation (though we encourage you to drink coffee with us). Please contact Rodolfo John Alaniz (alaniz@berkeley.edu) for more information or to receive reminder emails.