The HPS Podcast - Conversations from History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science

“This is Holden Thorp. I'm the Editor in Chief of Science and thanks to Sam and Carmelina for all they're doing to get the word out about the history and philosophy of science”Today's guest is Holden Thorp, professor of chemistry at George Washington University and Editor-in-Chief of the Science family of journals.In April of this year, Holden published an editorial in Science with the tantalising title ‘Teach Philosophy of Science’. Holden called for more substantial teaching of history and philosophy of science across undergraduate and graduate science curricula. He argued that learning about the historical and philosophical foundations of science is crucial for improving public trust. Encouraging deeper consideration of ongoing revision in science, as well as historical and societal contexts, will better equip future researchers and professionals with a more nuanced perspective on how robust, reliable knowledge is established.In the months since its publication the editorial provoked significant discussion across social media, so we decided to reach out to Holden to join us for a more in-depth conversation. We were keen to see exactly what role Holden saw for HPS scholars in such a shift and test his willingness to engage with the more challenging insights that research across History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science bring to the surface.A full transcript of the episode can be accessed here: https://www.hpsunimelb.org/post/s4-ep-9-holden-thorp-on-teach-history-and-philosophy-of-science Relevant links:'Teach philosophy of science' | Editorial by Holden Thorp | ScienceHolden's Seminar | 'Unreasonable Doubt' | The George Washington University'Cracking the Code of Science Denial' | On Holden's Seminar | GW Today'It matters who does science' | Holden Thorp | Science | AAASHolden Thorp | Editor-in-Chief | Science | AAASWhy Trust Science? | Naomi Oreskes | Princeton University PressThanks for listening to The HPS Podcast with current producers, Samara Greenwood and Carmelina Contarino. You can find more about us on our blog, website, bluesky, twitter, instagram and facebook feeds. Music by ComaStudio. This podcast would not be possible without the support of School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. HPS Podcast | hpsunimelb.org

Today, Carmelina is joined by Dr. Nicole C. Nelson, Associate Professor in the Department of Medical History and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Nicole is an ethnographer of science and a familiar face to many within both Science and Technology Studies, and Metascience. Today, Nicole explains how ethnographic studies can help us to make sense of the world, and how she uses ethnography to construct the story of science in a way that the published record of scientific articles can't. By immersing herself within the spaces where science takes place, Nicole's research produces a deeper and richer understanding of how and why science is conducted the way it is.A full transcript of the episode can be accessed at www.hpsunimelb.org/post/s4-ep-8-nicole-c-nelson-on-ethnographies-of-scienceRelevant Links:Profile: Nicole C. Nelson, PhD Books:Changing Order | CollinsArticles:Understand the real reasons reproducibility reform fails | NelsonThanks for listening to The HPS Podcast with current producers, Samara Greenwood and Carmelina Contarino. You can find more about us on our blog, website, bluesky,twitter, instagram and facebook feeds. Music by ComaStudio. This podcast would not be possible without the support of School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. HPS Podcast | hpsunimelb.orgThanks for listening to The HPS Podcast with current producers, Samara Greenwood and Carmelina Contarino. You can find more about us on our blog, website, bluesky, twitter, instagram and facebook feeds. Music by ComaStudio. This podcast would not be possible without the support of School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. HPS Podcast | hpsunimelb.org

"In response to that article, I was getting hate mail. I was getting attacked. I thought, these people have a script. This is a story that people need to understand. This isn't just something of academic interest. This is something that has real political and cultural consequences."Today's very special guest is acclaimed historian of science, Professor Naomi Oreskes, author of Merchants of Doubt, Science on a Mission and her most recent book with long time collaborator Erik Conway – The Big Myth – all about understanding the rise of free-market fundamentalism.Naomi discusses what lead her shift from exploration geologist to historian and philosopher of science, as well as her somewhat accidental pathway into public discussions on pressing concerns such as climate change, trust in science, and the escalation of misinformation in the public realm.Naomi also introduces us to the fascinating field of agnotology – the study of socially constructed ignorance. While Naomi has often written about ignorance or doubt that was deliberately cultivated by bad faith actors, she also emphasises the importance of studying ‘inadvertent ignorance.’  This is when the attention of researchers becomes focussed on certain sets of issues and not others, not due to malevolent aims, but rather due to background assumptions, commitments and even funding sources. Of course, our attention can’t be directed everywhere at once, but it is the inevitability and pervasiveness of such ‘directive forces’ that makes studying them so important.Transcript coming soon.Relevant links:Naomi Oreskes | Department of the History of Science, Harvard University'Merchants of Doubt' | Naomi Oreskes | ABC listen'Why we should trust scientists' | Naomi Oreskes | TED YouTube‘Science on a Mission’ | Naomi Oreskes | Science NewsExcerpt from ‘The Big Myth’ | Oreskes & Conway | Harvard GazetteFifteen Questions: Naomi Oreskes on Climate Change Denial, Apolitical Scientists, and Her Favorite Rocks | Magazine | The Harvard CrimsonThanks for listening to The HPS Podcast with current producers, Samara Greenwood and Carmelina Contarino. You can find more about us on our blog, website, bluesky, twitter, instagram and facebook feeds. Music by ComaStudio. This podcast would not be possible without the support of School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. HPS Podcast | hpsunimelb.org

"Doing the thing is not the whole thing, it's also the sharing it with the audiences who either need it or are simply interested in it...science isn't finished until it's communicated"Our guest today is Associate Professor Jen Martin. Jen leads the University of Melbourne’s acclaimed Science Communication Teaching program and is passionate about helping scientists develop the skills they need to be visible, to make connections and to have impact.As well as teaching, Jen is a prolific communicator of science. Over the last 18 years her voice has become a familiar companion to many as she talks weekly about science on Melbourne radio, and co-hosts the fun and highly informative ‘Let’s Talk SciComm’ podcast. In today’s episode, Jen shows us how communicating science in inclusive and non-elitist ways is not an ‘optional extra’ to research, but rather a fundamental part of the process, with its own set of teachable skills. A full transcript of the episode can be accessed here: https://www.hpsunimelb.org/post/s4-ep-5-jen-martin-on-communicating-scienceRelevant Links:A/Prof Jen Martin | The University of MelbourneDr Jen Martin | Personal website (scidocmartin.com)Let's Talk SciComm Podcast | Spotify Science Communication Program | The University of MelbourneEpisode edited by Samara Greenwood and Grace MartinThanks for listening to The HPS Podcast with current producers, Samara Greenwood and Carmelina Contarino. You can find more about us on our blog, website, bluesky, twitter, instagram and facebook feeds. Music by ComaStudio. This podcast would not be possible without the support of School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. HPS Podcast | hpsunimelb.org