Overview
The Twelfth Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop took place 24-28 June 2015 at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, including a one-day trip to the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago.
Conference Theme: Astronomy and Authority
Authority is a perennial and perplexing issue in astronomy. For the Twelfth Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop, we invite submissions that explore the theme of astronomy and authority. Who controls the production and dissemination of astronomical information? What are the purposes for which that information is used? What sorts of evidence and influence are exercised in establishing astronomical theory and practice? What roles do instruments and wealth play in matters of astronomical authority? What are the ways in which astronomical investigation reflects philosophical, cultural, or political differences between competing traditions? How is astronomical authority undermined? As in previous years, we expect that the theme can encompass a number of different time periods and geographical locations. Proposals that directly address the theme will receive preferential treatment.
Invited Speaker
This year’s invited speaker is Michio Yano, professor at Kyoto Sangyo University in Japan and chief editor of SCIAMVS, an international journal for the history of exact sciences in antiquity and the Middle Ages.
For detailed information about this conference, including conference materials, please follow this link: https://www3.nd.edu/~histast/workshops/2015ndxii/index.shtml