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The HPS Podcast - Conversations from History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science
The HPS Podcast - Conversations from History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science
This podcast features conversations with leading scholars in the history, philosophy, and social studies of science, introducing contemporary topics for a general audience. Developed by graduate students from the HPS program at the University of Melbourne, it offers accessible insights into the field. The episodes are hosted by Thomas Spiteri for the 2025-2026 season.
Episodes
Jahnavi Phalkey on India's Place in the History of Modern Science
This week, Thomas Spiteri speaks with Dr Jahnavi Phalkey, historian of science and technology, filmmaker, and Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru. Phalkey is the author of Atomic State: Big Science in Twentieth Century India, and producer-director of the documentary film Cyclotron (2020) – a film about the world's oldest functional particle accelerator and the people who keep it ru
Mazviita Chirimuuta on Simplification in Neuroscience
This week, Thomas Spiteri speaks with Dr Mazviita Chirimuuta, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and author of The Brain Abstracted: Simplification in the History and Philosophy of Neuroscience (MIT Press, 2024) – winner of the 2025 Lakatos Award and the 2024 Nayef Al-Rodhan International Prize in Transdisciplinary Philosophy from the Royal Institute of Philosophy.The co
Magdalena Skipper on Scientific Publishing
This week, Thomas Spiteri speaks with Dr. Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of Nature. Skipper has held the role since 2018, and has a background in the genetic sciences. She is also notably the first female — and only the eighth person — to lead the journal since its founding in 1869.Skipper reflects on what she has worked to preserve and change since taking on the role, from deepening the conne
Steven Shapin on the Social Life of Scientific Knowledge
This week, Thomas Spiteri speaks with Steven Shapin, Professor Emeritus of the History of Science at Harvard. Shapin reflects on his path into the history and sociology of science and discusses the central concerns of his work: how knowledge is produced, the social foundations of trust in science, the embodied nature of knowledge, and the performance of expertise. He revisits Leviathan and the Air
Cordelia Fine on "Patriarchy Inc"
This week, Thomas Spiteri speaks with Professor Cordelia Fine — psychologist, award-winning writer, and professor in the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne. Cordelia is one of today’s leading voices on how science and society shape our understandings of gender.In the conversation, Cordelia discusses her new book Patriarchy, Inc.: What We Get Wrong About Gender Equalit
Miriam Solomon on How Stigma Shapes Psychiatry
This week, Thomas Spiteri speaks with Professor Miriam Solomon, Professor of Philosophy at Temple University and a leading voice in philosophy of science, medicine, and psychiatry.Solomon reflects on her intellectual trajectory, from her early studies in the natural sciences at Cambridge and her doctoral work at Harvard, to her later contributions in the philosophy of medicine and psychiatry. She
Philip Kitcher on Philosophy for Science and the Common Good
This week, Thomas Spiteri speaks with Professor Philip Kitcher, John Dewey Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Columbia University and one of the most influential philosophers of science of the past half-century.Kitcher traces his intellectual journey from his early years at Cambridge and Princeton, where he studied with Thomas Kuhn, Carl Hempel, and Paul Benacerraf, to his later interventions in
Lydia Patton on HOPOS
This week, Thomas Spiteri is in conversation with Professor Lydia Patton, philosopher of science and historian of the philosophy of science. Patton traces her unexpected journey from ballet to Kantian philosophy and into the emerging field of HOPOS (history of philosophy of science). She reflects on her years as editor-in-chief of the HOPOS journal, she offers her perspective on the field’s future
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy on ‘Rethinking our Starting Assumptions’
“I love your field. It is making such an important point about scientists who don't understand the extent to which our own upbringing impacts our starting assumptions. It's those starting assumptions that get you in trouble.” In today’s episode Samara Greenwood returns to interview the pioneering primatologist and evolutionary anthropologist, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, about her latest book Fa
Cristian Larroulet Philippi on Measurement in the Human Sciences
This week, Thomas Spiteri is joined by Dr. Cristian Larroulet Philippi, who joins us at the University of Melbourne this year as the inaugural RW Seddon Fellow in the History and Philosophy of Science program. With a background in economics and a PhD in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge, Larroulet Philippi was previously a Junior Research Fellow at Gonville and Cai
Heather Douglas on Rethinking Science’s Social Contract
This week on The HPS Podcast, Thomas Spiteri is in conversation with internationally recognised philosopher of science and professor at Michigan State University, Heather Douglas. Heather’s work has transformed how philosophers and scientists think about values, responsibility, and the relationship between science and society.In recognition of her contributions, she has been honoured as a Fellow o
Hans-Jörg Rheinberger on 'Epistemic Things'
Today on The HPS Podcast, Thomas Spiteri talks with Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, distinguished historian and philosopher of science and Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. Trained first in philosophy and then in molecular biology, Rheinberger is well-recognised for his work on the history and epistemology of experimentation. His influential work, including
Surekha Davies on Humans: A Monstrous History
Today on The HPS Podcast, Thomas Spiteri speaks with Dr. Surekha Davies, historian of science, art and ideas, and author of the new book Humans: A Monstrous History (University of California Press). Surekha’s research explores how ideas about humanity have been shaped by encounters with what did not seem to fit. She draws on visual, material and textual sources to show how people have imagined and
S5 E1 - Samara and Thomas: Reflections and Roads Ahead
After a short break, The HPS Podcast is back! Season 5 opens with a special handover episode. After several years as lead host, Samara Greenwood passes the mic to fellow PhD candidate Thomas Spiteri. Together, they look back on the podcast’s journey, what it has meant to them, and where it’s headed next.Hear from Samara and Thomas as they:Introduce Thomas as the new host and share plans for Season
Audience Faves: Daston & Harrison on 'Scientists and History'
In the lead up to the launch of Season 5, we at The HPS Podcast are re-releasing some favourite episodes from our collection.In this episode Professors Lorraine Daston and Peter Harrison talk to Samara Greenwood on the often complex, sometimes fraught relationship between practicing scientists and the history of science. This episode was originally released on March 07, 2024.The transcript can be
Audience Faves: Hasok Chang on 'Epistemic Iteration'
In the lead up to the launch of Season 5, we at The HPS Podcast are re-releasing some favourite episodes from our collection.In this episode, Professor Hasok Chang talks with Samara Greenwood about his concept of 'Epistemic Iteration', the idea that scientific inquiries do not start from a solid foundation, but rather begin from an imperfect position, using the outcomes of our further in
Audience Faves: Rachael Brown on 'Values in Science'
In the lead up to the launch of Season 5, we at The HPS Podcast are re-releasing some favourite episodes from our collection.In this episode we have Dr Rachael Brown talking to Samara Greenwood on challenge the common idea that Science is (and should be) 'Value-Free'. At a practical level, in choosing which phenomena to study, and how best to study them, can science really ever be value-
Audience Faves: Kristian Camilleri on 'The Disunity of Science'
In the lead up to the launch of Season 5, we at The HPS Podcast are re-releasing some favourite episodes from our collection.First, we have Dr Kristian Camilleri talking with Samara Greenwood about the relatively recent realisation that this thing we call 'Science' is a less unified phenomena then is typically supposed. The 'disunity' becomes clear when we appreciate that scien
S4 Ep 12 - Joshua Eisenthal et al. on 'Philosophy of Science in Practice'
Today we have not one, not two, but five fabulous guests who all presented at this year’s conference for the Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice, or SPSP24 for short. Many philosophers of science we have featured on the podcast, including Hasok Chang, Rachel Ankeny and Sabina Leonelli, were founding members of SPSP. Also, our earlier episode on ‘The Turn to Practice’ in philosophy of sci
S4 Ep 11 - Redux: Fiona Fidler on 'Collective Objectivity'
"It wouldn’t make sense to leave the entire burden of upholding objectivity in science on the shoulders of fallible individuals, right?" Prof. Fiona Fidler Today, we return to one of our favourite episodes, with the person who first came up with the idea for our podcast – Professor Fiona Fidler. Fiona is head of our History and Philosophy of Science Program at the University of Melbourne
S4 Ep 10 - Erika Milam on 'Colloquial Science'
"These conversations are the focus of fierce debate, not because scientists lack authority, but because these are the intellectual battles worth fighting. These are the stakes on which modern society depends"Our guest today is Erika Milam, Charles C. and Emily R. Gillispie Professor in the History of Science at Princeton University.Through her research, Erika has found it useful to coin
S4 Ep 9 - Holden Thorp on 'Teach History and Philosophy 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
S4 Ep 8 - Nicole C. Nelson on 'Ethnographies of Science'
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 ethnog
S4 Ep 7 - Naomi Oreskes on 'Writing on Ignorance'
"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
S4 Ep 6 - Jen Martin on 'Communicating Science'
"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
S4 Ep 5 - Edouard Machery on 'Experimental Philosophy'
Today our guest presenter Thomas Spiteri is joined by Professor Edouard Machery, Distinguished Professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s HPS department and director of the Center for Philosophy of Science.Edouard, a leading figure in experimental philosophy (X-Phi), shares insights into the X-Phi movement, which integrates empirical methods into philosophical inquiry. He discusses the limitation
S4 Ep 4 - Darrin Durant on 'Expertise'
Today Carmelina is joined by Dr Darrin Durant a Senior Lecturer in HPS at the University of Melbourne specialising in Science and Technology studies. Darrin's research covers two seemingly distinct areas: nuclear energy and expertise. Yet nuclear energy and other contested public policy issues are informed by experts on both sides of the debate. As Darrin explains in today’s episode, there a
S4 Ep 3 - Simon Schaffer on 'Leviathan and the Air-Pump: 40 years later' (Part 2)
This episode forms Part 2 of our extended interview with the celebrated historian of science, and master communicator, Professor Simon Schaffer.Today, we continue to focus our discussion on the book Simon co-wrote with Steven Shapin in the early 1980s, Leviathan and the Air-Pump. Simon reveals fascinating insights into the production of the book, including his many deep dives into rare books colle
S4 Ep 2 - Simon Schaffer on 'Leviathan and the Air-Pump: 40 years later' (Part 1)
This episode is the first of two in which the celebrated Professor of History of Science, Simon Schaffer, discusses the famous HPS publication, Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle and the Experimental Life, which Simon co-wrote with another esteemed HPS scholar, Steven Shapin, in the early 1980s. The book went on to become one of the most well-known across both HPS and STS, with next year ma
S4 Ep 1 - Sam and Carmelina on 'Studying Humanities and Science'
Welcome back to The HPS Podcast for Season 4.In today's episode, Carmelina and Samara touch on a variety of topics, but a core theme is 'how we study science through the lens of the humanities'. Both Sam and Carmelina believe the skills and perspectives developed through disciplines such as history, sociology, and philosophy are crucial to resolving many of today's problems. So
Working Fathers Mini-series. Ep 5 - What's Next?
We are pleased to bring you a special five episode podcast series Working Fathers created by Professor in HPS Cordelia Fine, political philosopher Associate Professor Dan Halliday, social psychologist, Dr Melissa Wheeler and historian Dr Annabelle Baldwin. What’s next for Australian fathers? In this final episode of the mini-series, we look at the future of fatherhood. So far, one thing all our gu
Working Fathers Mini-series. Ep 4 - Give Dads a Break
We are pleased to bring you a special five episode podcast series Working Fathers created by Professor in HPS Cordelia Fine, political philosopher Associate Professor Dan Halliday, social psychologist, Dr Melissa Wheeler and historian Dr Annabelle Baldwin. In Episode 4, Give Dads a Break, we look at more of the pressures that prevent fathers from being active and equal caregivers in their children
Working Fathers Mini-series. Ep 3 - Are Fathers Free?
We are pleased to bring you a special five episode podcast series Working Fathers created by Professor in HPS Cordelia Fine, political philosopher Associate Professor Dan Halliday, social psychologist, Dr Melissa Wheeler and historian Dr Annabelle Baldwin.How much freedom do fathers have? Do fathers have real choices about how to divide their time between paid work and caring for the kids at home?
Working Fathers Mini-series. Ep 2 - What Gave Rise to the Breadwinner?
We are pleased to bring you a special five episode podcast series Working Fathers created by Professor in HPS Cordelia Fine, political philosopher Associate Professor Dan Halliday, social psychologist, Dr Melissa Wheeler and historian Dr Annabelle Baldwin. How people divide labour within and beyond the family unit has changed throughout human history. The current model in many Western nations, inc
Working Fathers Mini-series. Ep 1 - Where's Dad?
We are pleased to bring you a special five episode podcast series created by Professor in HPS Cordelia Fine, political philosopher Associate Professor Dan Halliday, social psychologist, Dr Melissa Wheeler and historian Dr Annabelle Baldwin. The series is called Working Fathers, and explores the varied roles fathers play in contemporary Australia and how policy can better recognise, value and supp
Working Fathers Mini-Series. Introduction.
In a break from our usual format, we are pleased to bring you a special five episode podcast series created by Professor in HPS Cordelia Fine, political philosopher Associate Professor Dan Halliday, social psychologist, Dr Melissa Wheeler and historian Dr Annabelle Baldwin. The series is called Working Fathers, and explores the varied roles fathers play in contemporary Australia and how policy can
S3 Ep 12 - Sabina Leonelli on 'The Philosophy of Open Science'
Our guest today is Professor of Philosophy and History of Science at the University of Exeter, Sabina Leonelli. Sabina recently released a book in the Cambridge Elements Philosophy of Science series on The Philosophy of Open Science. In her book, Sabina offers a stimulating perspective on the Open Science movement, discussing both its strengths and some of its unintended downsides, including const
S3 Ep 11 - Uljana Feest on 'What is Missing in Replication Debates'
Today Carmelina is joined by Professor Uljana Feest, Philosopher of Psychology and Chair for Philosophy of Social Science and Social Philosophy at the Leibniz University of Hannover. In this episode, Uljana discusses her work on the philosophy and history of psychology as it relates to the replication crisis. In a recent article ‘What is the Replication Crisis a Crisis Of?’ Uljana proposes someth
S3 Ep 10 - Aja Watkins & Miguel Ohnesorge on 'Philosophy of the Geosciences'
Today we are joined by Miguel Ohnesorge and Aja Watkins to talk about a new subfield of HPS - The Philosophy of the Geosciences. Miguel and Aja recently co-authored an article titled 'What is the Philosophy of the Geosciences?' In today's episode, we discuss many of the themes introduced in the paper, including common problems found across such diverse geoscientific disciplines as
S3 Ep 9 - Emma Kowal on 'Haunting Biology'
How are we to understand Indigenous biological difference in the twenty-first century?Is it a racist ruse, a stubborn residue of racial pseudoscience?Or is it a potentially empowering force that can be unlocked by newly accurate science?Or by being under Indigenous control?Today’s guest is Deakin Distinguished Professor Emma Kowal. Emma first trained as a doctor and public health researcher, befor
S3 Ep 8 - Haixin Dang on 'Disagreement in Science'
We have a very special episode today with guest host Dr Joshua Eisenthal interviewing fellow philosopher of science, and good friend, Dr Haixin Dang on the fascinating subject of Disagreement in Science.It might seem like scientists should always aspire to achieve consensus, and therefore any disagreement in science is a mark of failure. However, as Haixin points out, disagreement is in fact a vit
S3 Ep 7 - Sophie Ritson on 'Collaboration in Science'
Today's episode features one of our favourite philosophers of physics, Dr Sophie Ritson. Sophie's research focuses on the way contemporary physicists – of both the experimental and theoretical kind – work together to develop reliable knowledge and find creative ways to expand our fundamental understanding of the universe.Sophie is unafraid to dig in where others fear to tread. She began
S3 Ep 6 - Kirsten Walsh on 'Rethinking Isaac Newton through his Archive'
Today's guest is Dr Kirsten Walsh, a philosophy lecturer at the University of Exeter.Kirsten’s research primarily focuses on Isaac Newton and his methodology, but she is careful to consider philosophical issues alongside a sensitivity and consideration for historical contexts.In today’s episode Kirsten gives us a sense of how our historical understanding of Newton has changed over time, and t
Throwback Thursday - Greg Radick on 'Counterfactual History of Science'
This week the team at The HPS Podcast are taking a mid-semester break!To celebrate we are reposting one of our favourite episodes from Season 1 featuring Professor Greg Radick, a leading historian of biology at the University of Leeds.In the podcast Greg discusses the use of counterfactuals in history of science - the term we use for asking ‘What if?’ questions about history - and their potential
S3 Ep 4 - Dan Hicks on 'Public Scientific Controversies'
In today’s episode we have assistant professor and philosopher of science, Dan Hicks, taking us through better understanding public scientific controversies.‘Public scientific controversies’ is a term Dan uses to capture a broad variety of controversies that involve both science and the public. This would include controversies around vaccines, genetically modified foods, medical research and clima
S3 Ep 3 - Anna Alexandrova on 'Philosophy of Well-Being Science'
Today's episode features Professor Anna Alexandrova from the University of Cambridge discussing a field she has pioneered - the Philosophy of Well-Being Science.As Anna points out, well-being and happiness are now established phenomena for scientific research, particularly in the disciplines of psychology and economics. But does current scientific research produce knowledge that is properly a
S3 Ep 2 - Kate Lynch on 'Causal Explanation in Science'
Today's guest is Dr Kate Lynch, who will discuss the topic of 'causal explanation in science'. Kate is a philosopher of biology and a lecturer in HPS at the University of Melbourne. In this episode Kate introduces us to the difference between 'causation' and 'causal explanation', as well as difficulties involved in assessing what makes a good causal explanation.
S3 Ep 1 - Lorraine Daston & Peter Harrison on 'Scientists and History'
Today's episode is dedicated to the often complex, sometimes fraught relationship between practicing scientists and the history of science. To discuss this topic, we are joined by two of the most distinguished scholars in the history of science, Lorraine Daston and Peter Harrison, who recently co authored an article for Aeon, urging for a fresh dialogue between scientists and historians. In t
S3 - Samara & Carmelina on 'Seeing Science Differently'
Welcome to Season 3 of the HPS podcast!It's so great to be back.Kicking off our third season, we have a new addition to the team, Carmelina Contarino.Carmelina is an Honours student in HPS at the University of Melbourne and will be joining Samara in producing the podcast, as well as hosting several of the episodes.In today's episode, Samara and Carmelina dive into what has become a bit o
BOOK LAUNCH - Mauricio Suárez on 'Inference and Representation'
Today on the podcast, Mauricio Suárez talks with Samara about his new book - Inference and Representation: A study in Modelling Science.Mauricio is Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, a life member at Clare Hall Cambridge and research associate at the London School of Economics. Mauricio has a long standing interest in the ways scientists represen
S2 Ep 12 - Highlights from the 2023 AAHPSSS Conference
Welcome to the final episode of Season 2 (with a bonus ep coming next week!). We take a moment in this episode to reflect on the first year of the HPS podcast.Just a few weeks ago Sam and Indi attended the biannual AAHPSSS (The Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science) conference at the University of Sydney. In this episode they reflect on their time at th
S2 Ep 11 - Hasok Chang on 'Epistemic Iteration'
"We get this instinct that true science must start from a firm foundation. Time and again, that's what I see NOT happening in the practice of science. We start from where we stand. The foundation is never indubitable, the foundation is provisional."Our very special guest today is Hasok Chang. Hasok is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge and
S2 Ep 10 - Katherine Furman on 'The Philosophy of Public Health'
"Philosophers of science are really good about thinking about causation and trying to figure out what the mechanisms are that make something work"Today we welcome Katherine Furman, who talks to Indi about the philosophy of public health. Katherine is a lecturer of Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Liverpool. She is currently on research leave to work with the SOCRAT
S2 Ep 9 - Carl Bergstrom on 'Science and Misinformation'
Today's guest is Professor Carl Bergstrom from the University of Washington. Carl has been touring Australia over the last few weeks and we were delighted when he agreed to join us while he was in Melbourne. Carl works across evolutionary biology, informatics and science studies and has become particularly well-known for his work concerning the spread of misinformation and what we can do abou
S2 Ep 8 - Gerhard Wiesenfeldt on 'The Unknown Scientist'
Welcome to another week of the HPS podcast. This week's guest is Gerhard Wiesenfeldt of the University of Melbourne. He joins us as he discusses the benefits and pitfalls of studying those in the history of science who are less well known. The popular narratives in the history of science tend to centre around a few key figures on whom extensive research and work has been done, those such as G
S2 Ep 7 - Ian Hesketh on 'Science History in Science'
This week's guest is Ian Hesketh, an intellectual historian and historian of science at the University of Queensland. His work in HPS revolves around 19th century scientific practices and their intricacies. He works to situate this science not only in its temporal history, but to delve into the ways in which the practice itself helped to form the science of the day.He joins the podcast to dis
S2 Ep 6 - Sarah Qidwai on 'Science and Colonialism'
Today's guest is Sarah Qidwai, a Postdoctoral Researcher in the history of science who focuses on British Imperialism, Science and Colonialism, the relation of Science and Islam, as well as the history of evolutionary biology. Sarah’s dissertation focussed on how the Muslim polymath, Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan, engaged with science and science popularisation. In this week’s episode Sarah introduce
S2 Ep 5 - Adrian Currie on 'Opportunistic Methods'
Today's guest on the podcast is Dr Adrian Currie, senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Exeter. Much of Adrian's research revolves around the question 'How do Scientists successfully generate knowledge in tricky circumstances?'Much of Adrian's work has focused on the historical sciences, such as palaeontology and archeology. In this episode Adrian talks about
S2 Ep 4 - Duane Hamacher on 'Indigenous Science'
"Everything on the land is reflected in the sky. So if you want to learn about indigenous astronomy, You have to learn about everything."This week we welcome Duane Hamacher to the HPS podcast as he discusses Indigenous science and its importance in the Australian context. Duane is a professor of astronomy who focuses on Indigenous astronomy, its history, and its present role in our knowl
S2 Ep 3 - Kristian Camilleri on 'The Turn to Practice'
Season 2 of the HPS podcast welcomes back friend of the podcast, Kristian Camilleri. This time he joins us to discuss the turn to practice in the philosophy of science.The "turn to practice" is a common name for the shift in philosophy of science theory when philosophers and social scientists moved from studying science through broad theories and began to analyse how science is actually
S2 Ep 2 - David Kaiser on 'Scientific Training'
"Scientists are not born, they are made" David Kaiser Today's guest on the podcast is David Kaiser, Germeshausen Professor of the History of Science and Professor of Physics at MIT. In history of science, David is best known for his books on the history of modern physics including Drawing Theories Apart, Quantum Legacies, and a personal favourite, How the Hippies Saved Physics, whic
S2 Ep 1 - Rachel Ankeny on 'Research Repertoires'
"That's what ‘repertoires’ is trying to force philosophers to look at - that whole ecosystem that encompasses the doing of science." Prof. Rachel Ankeny We start season 2 with the wonderful Rachel Ankeny discussing scientific change and the concept of research repertoires.Rachel is professor of History and Philosophy at the University of Adelaide, with wide ranging expertise across
BONUS EPISODE - Joshua Eisenthal & HPS Chat
In this final bonus episode for Season 1 we are doing things a little bit differently. Instead of a one-way interview, philosopher of physics - Joshua Eisenthal - and host Samara Greenwood have a two-way conversation reflecting on Season 1 and discuss how certain episodes intersected with their own research interests.In particular, Josh and Sam discuss Donna Haraway's concept of Storytelling
BONUS EPISODE - Simine Vazire on 'Making Science Better'
Welcome to a special bonus episode of The HPS Podcast with Professor of Psychology, Simine Vazire, discussing the ways in which HPS scholars and scientists can work together to create better science.We are releasing the episode to coincide with the campaign put together by Simine and others to support the legal defence of Data Colada – a group of professors who identify concerns with the integrity
S1 Ep12 - Fiona Fidler on 'Collective Objectivity'
"It wouldn’t make sense to leave the entire burden of upholding objectivity in science on the shoulders of fallible individuals, right?" Prof. Fiona Fidler To finish off our inaugural season with a bang – today’s episode features the visionary researcher who initiated the idea for the podcast – Professor Fiona Fidler. Fiona is head of our History and Philosophy of Science Program at the
S1 Ep 11 - James McElvenny on 'Language and Science'
Today on the podcast is Dr James McElvenny, historian and philosopher of linguistics, discussing the topic of language and science.As James points out in this episode, intersections between language, the language sciences and science are many and varied. For example, James introduces us to the ways in which the study of language and the study of science have interacted in history, in particular th
S1 Ep 10 - Martin Bush on 'Knowledge Circulation and Visualisation'
This week we welcome Dr Martin Bush to the podcast to discuss the role of imagery and visualisation in the circulation of science and knowledge. Martin is a member of the HPS department at the University of Melbourne who focuses primarily on the role of imagery in the popularisation and teaching of astronomy. In this episode, he takes us through the different arenas in which science is produced, d
S1 Ep 9 - Caleb Hazelwood on 'Scientific Metaphysics'
This episode features Caleb Hazelwood, philosopher of science and PhD candidate, talking on the topic of Scientific Metaphysics. As Caleb explains, ‘scientific metaphysics’ refers to coming to grips with what ‘really is’ in the world – and being crystal clear about the concepts we use to describe natural phenomena and how they interact. For example, Caleb talks about the importance of differentia
S1 Ep 8 - Samara Greenwood on 'Social Change and Science'
This week Indigo Keel interviews our regular host, Samara Greenwood, on societal contexts and science.Samara is currently undertaking a PhD in which she investigates the various ways in which changes in society can come to shape change in science. In this episode Samara discusses some of the controversies of drawing links between political contexts and scientific change, including links between se
S1 Ep 7 - Rachael Brown on 'Values in Science'
Today on the podcast Samara talks with Dr Rachael Brown on values in science. In particular, the downfall of the value-free ideal. Dr. Rachael Brown, is a philosopher of biology and director for the Centre for Philosophy of the Sciences at the Australian National University or ANU in Canberra. Rachael runs her own wonderful podcast on philosophy and science called The P-Value. In discussing value
S1 Ep 6 - Fallon Mody on 'Biography in Science'
On this episode Samara interviews Dr Fallon Mody, Historian of Medicine and Metascience researcher at the University of Melbourne, on the topic of Biography.For non-historians, scientific biography is likely thought of as a straightforward telling of a celebrated individual’s life history, like Albert Einstein or Marie Curie. However, historians find biography - as a research tool - is better put
S1 Ep 5 - Greg Radick on 'Counterfactual History of Science'
This weeks guest is Greg Radick, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Leeds.In the podcast Greg discusses the use of counterfactuals in history of science - the term we use for asking ‘What if?’ questions about history - and their potential to subvert our conventional thinking. In Greg’s research, a central counterfactual question is: “What might biology be like now
S1 Ep 4 - Cordelia Fine on 'Sex Difference Research'
Professor Cordelia Fine joins Samara this week to talk about 'norms of reaction' in relation to sex differences. Feminist critics of sex difference research are often accused of claiming there are no sex differences, or that sex hormones have no influence on human behaviour. Cordelia talks us through why this is a false characterisation. Instead, feminist researchers are digging into the
S1 Ep 3 - Alan Love on 'Purpose in Biology'
Does nature have a purpose? The simple scientific answer is no, but the fuller story is, of course, more complicated than that. Concepts like goal directedness, directionality, and even purpose are used - usefully! - in biology all the time. How can we reconcile these two realities? Today's guest on the HPS podcast is Professor Alan C. Love. Alan is professor of philosophy at the University o
S1 Ep 2 - Kristian Camilleri on 'The Disunity of Science'
How do you view science? Is it a unified discipline that relies on a single method, or are the sciences more diverse than the standard image implies? In this episode of the podcast, Samara meets with the University of Melbourne’s own Dr Kristian Camilleri to talk about the Disunity of Science. Kristian highlights the problems with a monolithic vision of science and argues for seeing the sciences a
S1 Ep 1 - Donna Haraway on 'Storytelling in Science'
In this episode of The HPS Podcast, Samara interviews a member of 'HPS Royalty' - Donna Haraway, who highlights the important role of narrative and storytelling in the sciences.For Donna, storytelling in science involves being aware of how important scientific narratives are to scientific practice, and to the ways science contributes to humanities broader 'story' of the world.
S1 Ep 0.5 - Introduction to the Podcast
Welcome to The HPS Podcast! Before we dive into the history and philosophy of science interviews we’ve all been waiting for, our host Samara Greenwood takes us through the backstory to the podcast. Samara discusses what HPS is all about, the aims of the podcast, as well as a bit about the history of the discipline. We then meet the rest of the podcast crew, Fiona Fidler and Indigo Keel, before lea
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