CFP: "Scientific Instruments and War" (SHOT, HSS, and SMH conferences, 2002-2003)
Forwarded to HISTNEUR-L from RETE. --RJ
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Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 18:35:01 -0500
From: "Steven A. Walton" [sawalton@mtu.edu]
Subject: CFP: Scientific Instruments and War
To: Rete [rete@mhs.ox.ac.uk]
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CFP: Scientific Instruments and Warfare
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Proposals are invited for contributed papers to sessions on THE ROLE OF
SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS IN WARFARE to be held at the 2002 History of Science
Society (HSS), the 2002 Society for the History of Technology (SHOT), and the
2003 Society for Military History (SMH) conferences and to be combined into a
published survey volume on the topic.
SHOT meets in Toronto 17-20 October 2002
HSS meets in Milwaukee 7-10 November 2002
SMH meets in Knoxville 1-4 May 2003
The goal of these sessions is to investigate the military uses of scientific
instruments, either as distillations of scientific concepts for paraliterate
users or as generative objects for the development of military sciences and
thought. Examples of the former might include objects such as rangefinders that
allow unskilled soldiers to utilize advanced ballistics, while examples of the
latter could include diagnostic instruments which identify soldiers for certain
duties or create ‘types’ of soldiers. More broadly, contributors might consider
peculiarly military uses of general scientific instruments, from microscopes,
testing machines, or even more broadly, computers or medical devices.
Generally, however, the concept of scientific instrument should here be
understood as a material object or technology which embodies scientific theory
which used in a military setting in a way that distinguishes it from a civilian
setting.
It is hoped that these papers will cover scientific instruments in war from a
wide chronological base (pre-modern to present) and from many different
perspectives (organizational, artifactual, logistical, or perceptual) and many
different disciplines (mathematics, physics, chemistry, acoustics, biomedical,
and so forth). Ultimately, the published volume will seek to do more than
combine narrowly focussed investigations of individual objects, and published
contributors will therefore be asked to place their specific investigation in a
wider framework, whether chronological or thematic. Solicited contributions may
be sought to fill gaps so that the published volume serves as an introduction to
the field as well as showcasing individual important research.
Further inquiries or paper proposals (for either conference or a chapter in the
published volume) should be directed to:
Steven A. Walton [sawalton@mtu.edu]
MTU-Dept. of Social Sciences Tel. (906) 487-2459
209 Academic Office Bldg. Fax. (906) 487-2468
Houghton, MI 49931
Please include a title, abstract, and brief C.V. Initial inquiries should be
made before Feb. 15 and completed proposals should be sent by March 1 for the
fall conferences, and Sept. 1 for SMH.
--
Steven A. Walton "All of human history, adequately examined,
Dept. of Social Sciences is in the end the search for better tools."
Michigan Technological University -Ernst Kapp, 1877
vox: (906) 487-2459 fax: (906) 487-2468
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