SPT newsletter
 

Volume 26, Number 1 (Winter 2001)
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[Ed. introduction: We hope the new year finds all of our readers well. Please note that this issue contains information on a couple of new publications, plus several notices of forthcoming calls for papers (both for conferences and publications). For the next issue, look for notification about recent SPT elections and some details on SPT XIII. Joe]

Conference Calls-For-Papers:

The Technological Fix: The Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society invites paper proposals for a conference, "The Technological Fix," Oct. 4 and 5, 2002, which will consider technologies and technological strategies intended to address a wide variety of needs and problems in 20th century America. The conference will take place at the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware. Provocative technological fixes have targeted such issues as dishonesty, crime, pollution, waste, danger, disease, resource depletion, time pressures, crowding, and agricultural productivity. Others have addressed social problems like the weakening of family and community bonds. Papers may discuss "fixes" that have worked, failed or were never implemented, or efforts to solve problems that earlier technologies created. We welcome analysis of the engineering, political, and marketing dimensions of the problem-solving process, as well as of their intersections.

Proposals are due by February 15, 2002 and should include an abstract of no more than 500 words and a brief c.v. Funds may be available to support travel to the conference by speakers. Please direct proposals and queries to:

Dr. Roger Horowitz, Associate Director
Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society
Hagley Museum and Library
P.O. Box 3630 Wilmington, DE 19807
email: rh@udel.edu
direct fax: 302-655-3188


Scientific Instruments and Warfare: Proposals are invited for contributed papers to sessions on THE ROLE OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS IN WARFARE to be held at the 2002 History of Science Society (HSS), the 2002 Society for the History of Technology (SHOT), and the 2003 Society for Military History (SMH) conferences and to be combined into a published survey volume on the topic.

SHOT meets in Toronto 17-20 October 2002
HSS meets in Milwaukee 7-10 November 2002
SMH meets in Knoxville 1-4 May 2003

The goal of these sessions is to investigate the military uses of scientific instruments, either as distillations of scientific concepts for paraliterate users or as generative objects for the development of military sciences and thought. Examples of the former might include objects such as rangefinders that allow unskilled soldiers to utilize advanced ballistics, while examples of the latter could include diagnostic instruments which identify soldiers for certain duties or create ‘types’ of soldiers. More broadly, contributors might consider peculiarly military uses of general scientific instruments, from microscopes, testing machines, or even more broadly, computers or medical devices. Generally, however, the concept of scientific instrument should here be understood as a material object or technology which embodies scientific theory which used in a military setting in a way that distinguishes it from a civilian setting.

It is hoped that these papers will cover scientific instruments in war from a wide chronological base (pre-modern to present) and from many different perspectives (organizational, artifactual, logistical, or perceptual) and many different disciplines (mathematics, physics, chemistry, acoustics, biomedical, and so forth). Ultimately, the published volume will seek to do more than combine narrowly focussed investigations of individual objects, and published contributors will therefore be asked to place their specific investigation in a wider framework, whether chronological or thematic. Solicited contributions may be sought to fill gaps so that the published volume serves as an introduction to the field as well as showcasing individual important research.

Further inquiries or paper proposals (for either conference or a chapter in the published volume) should be directed to:

Steven A. Walton sawalton@mtu.edu
MTU-Dept. of Social Sciences
209 Academic Office Bldg.
Houghton, MI 49931

Please include a title, abstract, and brief C.V. Initial inquiries should be made before Feb. 15 and completed proposals should be sent by March 1 for the fall conferences, and Sept. 1 for SMH.

Publishing Calls-For-Papers:

The Public Historian, a journal of the public history profession, seeks proposals for articles relating to the use of new technologies in historical research around the world. Contributions to this special theme issue can address an array of topics, from applications of technology to historical problems to the impact or innovative use of technology in public history media (exhibits, film, websites, etc.) The editors also invite articles with a historical perspective, those that assess the impact of once-new technologies (computing, audio and video technologies, microfilm, conservation technologies) on historical research, understanding, and interpretation. Proposals for articles and nominations of books/films/websites/exhibits for review are welcomed. For submission guidelines and editorial policies, please refer to their website, http://www.ucpress.edu/journals/tph/edsub.htm or contact the managing editor. Articles in two formats will be considered: brief "reports from the field" (10 pp. typed, double-spaced maximum) and expanded articles reporting new research and analysis, usually 25-40 pp. typed, double-spaced). For either format, submit a one page description of the scope and findings of the essay, along with a CV and your complete contact information (name, title, position, work address, home address, telephones, fax, email) by November 15, 2002 to: Lindsey Reed, Managing Editor, The Public Historian, Department of History, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9410, USA LREED@LTSC.ucsb.edu, 805-893-3667, 805-893-7522 (fax).

The Encyclopedia of 20th-Century Technology, edited by Dr Colin Hempstead, will be published circa early 2003 by Fitzroy Dearborn publishers. This one-volume work of about 900 large-format pages will contain about 400 entries, mostly on individual technologies, and objects, artifacts, and products. The core of each of the main entries will be a technical description, within a brief narrative, of about 1000 words plus illustrations and further reading. There are also about 30 longer survey entries that address broad questions of technological systems, such as the context in which the various technologies were developed, discussions of any controversies and schools of thought, comparisons between different political and economics systems, and the various ways in which different nations have attempted to make and apply science and technology policies. The list of entries has been developed by the Editor in conjunction with a Board of Advisers. Researchers who wish to offer to write articles for the Encyclopedia can read more at the publishers website http://www.fitzroydearborn.com/london/tech/intro.htm which has a full list of entries, a list of Advisers, two sample entries, and further guidelines on entry style and content. You should send your choice of entries to the publishers at tech@fitzroydearborn.co.uk, indicating the maximum number of entries you could write, and your order of preference, as there is bound to be considerable duplication of choice among potential contributors and it may not be possible to assign you all the entries of your choice They hope to make the assignment of entries to contributors by mid October, but please send your offer well before then if you would like to contribute. The deadline for submission of articles will be 1 March 2002, and contributors will each receive a copy of the Encyclopedia, and further payment if more than one (1000 word) entry is commissioned.Contact: Encyclopedia of 20th-Century Technology, Fitzroy Dearborn, 310 Regent Street, London W1B 3AX, tel: +44 (0)20 7467 1424; fax: +44 (0)20 76366982; tech@fitzroydearborn.co.uk.

Science Communication Call for Manuscripts

Media Coverage of Scientific Research—Intellectual Property—The Role of the Internet in Science Communication—Science and Technology Issues in the New Millennium—Bridging the Gap Between Science and Society. These are just some of the topics discussed in Science Communication, an international, interdisciplinary social science journal. The editor invites manuscripts for consideration from authors in all disciplines (e.g., social sciences, policy sciences, economics, and history) and organizations (e.g., universities, government, and the private sector) that deal with these and related issues. Whenever possible, articles should attempt to bridge the gap between theory and practice and focus on innovative interdisciplinary approaches to the communication of science. Submissions addressing issues of ethics, equity, and economics are especially welcome.

Science Communication examines the communication of science and technology among professionals and to a wider public, the diffusion of knowledge, and the nature of expertise.

Areas of particular interest include:

  • Communication among professionals within the scientific and engineering communities, including peer-review practices, intellectual property issues, and the use of new communication technologies.
  • Communication of scientific information to other professionals, including use of scientific expertise in the courts and in government policymaking arenas at all levels.
  • Communication of scientific and technical information to a broader audience, including both formal and informal education, and using such venues as the mass media, science museums, and the Internet.

Manuscripts should be submitted in triplicate to Carol L. Rogers, Editor, Science Communication, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7111, USA. The letter of transmittal should contain (a) the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all authors and a fax number and e-mail address of at least one author; (b) a statement that all authors have read and approved the manuscript submitted; and (c) a statement that the material has not been previously published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Each manuscript, typed double-spaced, should include an abstract of not more than 100 words. All tables, figures, footnotes, and alphabetical list of references should be double-spaced and appended separately. Citations should be prepared according to Style B of the Chicago Manual of Style (14th ed., 1993). To facilitate the anonymous review process, names and affiliations should appear only on the title sheet.

Inquiries should go to the editor at 301-405-2430 (phone), 301-314-9166 (fax), or cr46@umail.umd.edu (e-mail).

Science and Technology Studies at Virginia Tech: Graduate Studies Profile

[Note from the Editors: In the Fall 1998 SPT Newsletter (Volume 22:4), we inaugurated a new feature. As stated in that issue: "We are initiating a series of short information articles on the various Ph.D. granting programs around the country whose area of concentration can loosely be called Science and Technology Studies (STS); The reason for the first item: the STS series is to assist those who wish to guide their undergraduate students interested in graduate work in the philosophy of technology. We are beginning with the STS programs simply because we are unaware of any "straight" philosophy of technology graduate programs, which is not to say that none exist; it is merely an expression of our ignorance. If you are involved in a graduate program in the philosophy of technology, please send us information on the program and we will be happy to publish it." In that issue, the Cornell STS Program was highlighted. In this issue, we continue with this series by introducing the Virginia Tech STS Program.]

Virginia Tech's Science and Technology Studies (STS) Program, the first STS Ph.D. granting program in the United States, accepted its first students in 1986. A cooperative venture of the Departments of History, Philosophy, Sociology and the Center for the Study of Science in Society (now the STS Center), the program grew out of the founding of the Center for the Study of Science in Society in 1981 by a group of faculty from various departments around the university interested in the theoretical foundations of the study of science and technology. As of 2001, the program had awarded 26 Ph.D. degrees and 61 Masters degrees.

Our STS scholars explore the relationship between science, technology, and society using a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. Research in STS analyzes how society affects the development and implementation of scientific, technological, and medical knowledges and practices and how scientific, technological, and medical pursuits affect society. The core faculty of the graduate field, with particular relevance for SPT members, are noted for their work in: environmental issues, considered politically, sociologically, ethically, and technologically (Tim Luke, Eileen Crist, Doris Zallen, and Barbara Allen); technological systems in historical and contemporary contexts, and as issues of policy making (Richard Hirsh, Anne Fitzpatrick, Saul Halfon, Daryl Chubin); philosophy of technology, how technology influences scientific changes, and the natures of scientific and technological explanation (Joe Pitt); and engineering and technology studies, considered anthropologically (Gary Downey). Faculty who participate from across the campus and from our Northern Virginia campus (all told, numbering near 50) are noted furthermore for their contributions to the history of philosophy, the philosophy of biology, history of early modern science, political science, social theory, history of public health, among others.

Students may pursue both Masters and Doctorate degrees. At the Doctoral level, students can choose to follow one of five specific tracks —either history, philosophy, sociology, or political studies of science and technology, or the standard science and technology studies track. The STS program hopes to be able to offer a maximum of two years of support for M.S. studies, 3 years of support for Ph.D. studies of students who earned MS degrees in our program, and 4 years of Ph.D. support for students who earned MS degrees in other programs, when–as is usual–they must take the core courses already taken by our MS students.

The academic community in Virginia Tech’s STS Program has been vibrant and productive, hosting conferences and workshops generally tailored to the interests of the faculty and students. For example: A conference focusing on the Philosophy of Technology was recently held; an ongoing series, the Choices and Challenges Project, encourages the humanistic components of science and technology to be identified and addressed - and to engage public audiences as key participants in this process (www.cis.vt.edu/choices&challenges) ; and this Spring, the Graduate Students will be hosting the 20th Annual Mephistos Conference (www.cis.vt.edu/mephistos2002).

STS at Virginia Tech is a cooperative venture of the Science and Technology Studies faculty in the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Departments of History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology. STS is also a member unit of the School of Public and International Affairs. Additional participating faculty in the program come from such diverse disciplines as Appalachian Studies, Architecture, Communication Studies, English, Mathematics, Teaching and Learning, Urban Affairs and Planning, and Women’s Studies.

New Books:

Technologies of Power, Essays in Honor of Thomas Parke Hughes and Agatha Chipley Hughes, edited by Michael Thad Allen and Gabrielle Hecht. This collection explores how technologies become forms of power, how people embed their authority in technological systems, and how the machines and the knowledge that make up technical systems strengthen or reshape social, political, and cultural power. The authors suggest ways in which a more nuanced investigation of technology’s complex history can enrich our understanding of the changing meanings of modernity. They consider the relationship among the state, expertise, and authority; the construction of national identity; changes in the structure and distribution of labor; political ideology and industrial development; and political practices during the Cold War. The essays show how insight into the technological aspects of such broad processes can help synthesize material and cultural methods of inquiry and how reframing technology’s past in broader historical terms can suggest new directions for science and technology studies. The essays were written in honor of Thomas Parke Hughes and Agatha Chipley Hughes, whose spirit of inquiry they seek to continue. Michael Thad Allen is Assistant Professor at the School of History, Technology, and Society at Georgia Tech. Gabrielle Hecht is an Associate Professor of History and the Associate Chair of the History Department at the University of Michigan.

Nouvelle encyclopédie de bioéthique. A new publication from DeBoeck Université: Encyclopedia of Bioethics, edited by Gilbert Hottois and Jean-Noël Missa. Médecine — Environnement — Biotechnologie. Avec quelque 300 entrées, un index de plusieurs milliers de termes et une large collaboration internationale, cet ouvrage constitue un outil de culture, de recherche et d’enseignement inestimable pour quiconque est intéressé par les questions éthiques soulevées par la recherche et le développement technoscientifiques dans le domaine de la biomédecine et de la biotechnologie.Chaque entrée comprend une définition, un historique, une explication scientifico-technique et l’exposé des problèmes éthiques. L’approche est pluridisciplinaire, pluraliste et attentive aux divers groupes d’intérêts qui composent nos sociétés complexes.Cet ouvrage s’adresse aux professeurs et étudiants des 2e et 3e cycles en philosophie, éthique, bioéthique, sociologie, droit, médecine, biologie ainsi qu’aux médecins, au personnel soignant, aux spécialistes des sciences et des techniques du vivant.

Funding Opportunity:

The Hagley Museum & Library's Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society invites scholars to make use of Hagley Museum and Library’s research collections and fellowship programs. A wide range of American and international topics can be explored in printed, manuscript, and pictorial resources, which include business, economic, industrial, technological, cultural, architectural, labor, and women’s history. More information on Hagley’s research collections may be obtained through their on-line catalog at http://www.hagley.org Further information on grants and fellowships can be obtained from the Center for the History of Business, Technology,and Society’s website: http://www.hagley.lib.de.us/center.html. Carol Ressler Lockman, The Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society, Hagley Museum & Library, PO Box 3630, Wilmington DE 19807, Email: crl@udel.edu, Phone: 302-658-2400, Fax: 302-655-3188

From the Editors:

As mentioned in the previous newsletters, this is our first electronically available SPT Newsletter. About one-third of the members are receiving the newsletter through the SPT website, www.spt.org, which, we should add, is now being hosted by a University of South Carolina server through the kind stewardship of Davis Baird. Of course, we would still like to receive e-mail addresses from those other SPT members who can provide one. Ultimately, we will be able to reduce the paper mailing and move entirely to our electronic format. We think this is not only the environmentally wise choice, but also one that allows us greater efficiency and accuracy when keeping the SPT community together. Therefore, if you are reading this and have an e-mail account, please send a note to bcohen@vt.edu to help facilitate our efforts in compiling that list.

Newsletter Affairs: Send inquiries about and information for The Newsletter to:

Joseph C. Pitt, Editor
Department of Philosophy
Major Williams Hall
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0126
E-mail: jcpitt@vt.edu

or

Benjamin Cohen, Associate Editor
E-mail: bcohen@vt.edu

The Newsletter is published by Joseph C. Pitt and Benjamin Cohen.

SPT Membership: SPT welcomes as members persons from all countries whose professional interests include philosophically significant considerations of technology. Membership is open to those who have an advanced degree (typically but not necessarily in philosophy), to those who are in a technological field, and to students whose work is in keeping with the interests of the Society. Dues are $15US per year, which includes a subscription to the SPT Newsletter (dues for students are $5US, and gratis for people in developing nations).

Exciting new ways to pay your dues (from Noam Cook):

Payments of SPT dues are now being handled by the Philosophy Documentation Center. Dues can be paid by cheque, money order, or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover). Payments by any of these methods can be sent to the address below. Credit card payments can also be made by fax or over the phone via the numbers below. (For credit card payments include card number and expiration date).

Society for Philosophy and Technology
Philosophy Documentation Center
P.O. Box 7147
Charlottesville, VA 22906-7147 USA

Tel. (toll free from the US & Canada) 800 444 2419
Tel. (from anywhere) 434 220 3300
Fax: 434 220 3301

SPT Officers

    President:
        Andrew Light, New York University

    Vice President/President-Elect:

    Past President:
        Deborah Johnson, University of Virginia

    Secretary:
        Noam Cook, San Jose State

    Treasurer:
        Diane Michelfelder, Utah State University

    Executive Board:
        Carol Gould, Pieter Tijmes, Hellen Nissenbaum,
        Eric Higgs, Imre Hronsky, Landgon Winner

    Techné Editor:
        Davis Baird, University of South Carolina

    Web Master:
        Tom Burke, University of South Carolina


 
 
  
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