Category Archives: History of Science

16 States Sue to Restore Biomedical Research Funding

Sixteen states have sued the Trump administration to restore research funding in biomedicine and public health that has been suspended or blocked by officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The New York Times reports that “California, Massachusetts and … Continue reading

Posted in Academic Freedom, Civil Rights Issues, Current Research, Grants and Fellowships, Higher Education, History of Medicine, History of Science, Human Rights, Legal history, Political History of the United States, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Renaissance Society of America Conference in Boston

I participated in the Renaissance Society of America Conference in Boston over the extended weekend. I enjoyed participating in a panel on “Piracy and Privateering in the Early Modern Mediterranean.” I gave a paper on Marseille as a base for … Continue reading

Posted in Conferences, Cultural History, Current Research, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, History of Science, History of the Book, History of Violence, Mediterranean World, Militias and Paramilitaries, Renaissance Art and History, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Attack on U.S. Research and Education: French Views

I participated in a workshop on Guerres de Religion et Changement Climatique (Religious Wars and Climate Change) at the IMéRA (Institute for Advanced Study) in Marseille, France, on 11 March 2025. This was a workshop that I co-organized with Jérémie … Continue reading

Posted in Academic Freedom, Climate Change, Contemporary France, Current Research, Education Policy, Environmental History, European History, European Studies, European Union, French History, French Wars of Religion, History of Science, History of Violence, Little Ice Age, Mediterranean World, Religious Violence, Revolts and Revolutions, United States History and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

History of Science and Versailles

London’s Science Museum is currently displaying an exhibition on Versailles: Science and Splendour, which draws on recent studies in the history of science in early modern France. The Financial Times reports that “The engine of the exhibition is the relationship … Continue reading

Posted in Court Studies, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, European History, European Studies, French History, History of Medicine, History of Science, Museums and Historical Memory, Women and Gender History, World History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Historical Film Review of Oppenheimer

My good friend David Krugler, Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin at Platteville, has published an impressive historical film review of Oppenheimer, the new feature film by Christopher Nolan about J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the key architects … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, Civilians and Refugees in War, Historical Film, History in the Media, History of Science, History of Violence, Security Studies, Strategy and International Politics, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society, World History | Leave a comment

Making Scents of the Past

The history of perfumes, fragrances, food, and medicines in the early modern period are closely intertwined. Early modern Europeans crafted “recipes” by experimenting with different ingredients from plants, animals, minerals, and other sources. The DURARE research team questions: “Is it … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural History, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, European Studies, Food and Cuisine History, History of Medicine, History of Science, Manuscript Studies, Material Culture, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

Seeing Race Before Race Fellowship

Premodern critical race studies is a rapidly expanding field within premodern studies. Many historians of the Medieval and Early Modern World are investigating the histories and languages of race and racism in premodern contexts. The Center for Renaissance Studies is … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural History, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, Globalization, Grants and Fellowships, History of Medicine, History of Race and Racism, History of Science, History of the Book, History of the Western World, History of Violence, Medieval History, Rare Books and Pamphlets, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, World History | Leave a comment

CRS Graduate Student Conference

The Newberry Library’s Center for Renaissance Studies is hosting its Multidisciplinary Graduate Student Conference online via Zoom, beginning today. Graduate students in Renaissance studies and pre-modern History at Northern Illinois University are encouraged to participate. Here is the announcement from … Continue reading

Posted in Art History, Conferences, Court Studies, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, European History, European Wars of Religion, Graduate Work in History, History of Medicine, History of Science, History of the Book, History of the Western World, Intellectual History, Italian History, Reformation History, Religious History, Renaissance Art and History, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History, World History | Leave a comment

The Newberry Library is Reopening

The Newberry Library in Chicago has announced that it will reopen on 18 January, following a temporary closure due to the Omicron wave of Covid. The Newberry Library states: “We look forward to welcoming you back to the Newberry starting … Continue reading

Posted in Archival Research, Current Research, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, European History, French Empire, French History, French Wars of Religion, Graduate Work in History, History of Science, History of the Book, Illinois History and Society, Manuscript Studies, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, Undergraduate Work in History, United States History and Society, World History | Leave a comment

History of Sleep in Medieval and Early Modern Europe

Nothing could seem more “natural” than our rhythms of sleep, yet there is a history of sleep. Historians have recognized various changes in sleeping patterns in the modern industrialized and post-industrial world, which have also been studied by scientists. Over … Continue reading

Posted in Archival Research, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, Environmental History, European History, Globalization, History in the Media, History of Medicine, History of Science, History of the Western World, Italian History, Medieval History, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, Social History, World History | Leave a comment