Writing the History of Science

This roundtable explores several key issues relating to communicating the history of science beyond the community of historians. Historians of science typically report on scientific research, largely for an audience of other historians. Some have reached larger audiences, of course, but those who have are few and far between. We are interested in discussing the manner in which this might be accomplished. Each participant will focus on their approach and offer lessons for others, as well as best practices for presenting in book form, long essays, podcasts, and short written presentations in magazines and on-line. Roger Launius will consider biography, which connects real people to events of importance and therefore has a resonance often not detectable elsewhere. Molly Backes will discuss novels and the Manhattan project. Jim Fleming will explore new genres of writing linking history of science and environmental humanities. One project, now underway, involves editing and annotating the private journals and letters of Joanne Simpson. Lijing Jiang will offer a focused reflection about historical novels in the history of the life sciences, especially from the perspective gained through her role at the Journal of the History of Biology, which is starting to publish reviews of fiction, films, exhibitions, and selective TV series. Matt Hersch will explore publishing opportunities for graduate students, suggesting that publishing is increasingly important as pre-doctoral experience. David DeVorkin will share his focus on oral and video history in enlivening research and writing on the history of modern astronomy.

Organized by Roger Launius (Launius Historical Services)