COMIC. Comissió d'Instruments Científics

Symposium of the Scientific Instruments Commission 

University of Tartu History Museum

Estonia, 25-29 August 2014

The topic of this meeting will be New Views on Old Instruments (working title), with the potential to include sections such as:

- New analytic methods.

- New ways of public engagement with instruments.

- New political aims (for example UNESCO recognition for material heritage).

- New challenges posed through (mostly, but not exclusively) post-war scientific instruments (conservation, selection, issues of storage or preservation in situ, documentation etc.).

- New networks emerging.

- Newly revealed sources.

The Scientific Instrument Commission is a constituent organization of the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS). It seeks to encourage scholarly research on the history of scientific instruments, and the preservation and documentation of collections of instruments, as well as their use within the wider discipline of the history of science. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore the many activities undertaken recently for the protection of the scientific heritage of the University and the surrounding region. The historical observatory with its famed Fraunhofer refractor was refurbished and re-opened, and work is now being done on the instrument collections and anatomical theater. Rather helpfully, all of the University collections are situated in a compact area reachable by foot and ample meeting space will be available for the Symposium sessions within University buildings. Nearby are also sites relating to the meridian arc established by Struve, now on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as several other collections and historic sites that could be visited on an excursion – for example, Tallinn.

Further details will soon be announcing, but please save the date now. To enable Dr. Lea Leppik and her colleagues to begin applying for grants, please send an e-mail to Janet Laidla on  Janet.Laidla@ut.ee  with the simple (non-binding) sentence 'I intend to participate ...' by Monday, 28 October.