Online Exhibition - Fred Hoyle

St John's College has launched an online exhibition about Fred Hoyle: Science and Literature Reading Group members might particularly be interested in the 'Hoyle the Writer' page.

2nd May - More early modern frogs

In preparation for our first meeting next Monday, here are a few more early modern frogs found on the internet:

• 'Jan Swammerdam's frogs' - Charlotte Sleigh
• 'Raining frogs and fish' - Live Science
•  Medical frogs - Jennifer Evans
• Translations of Basho's frog haiku (1680s):

The old pond
A frog jumped in,
Kerplunk!

Allen Ginsberg

2nd May - Natural historical frogs

Our first meeting of term will take place on Monday 2nd May from 7.30-9pm in the Newnham Grange Seminar Room at Darwin College. We will kick off our frog-related readings with the relevant chapter from Edward Topsell's History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents (1658 edition), pp. 718-726. We hope to see you then!

Easter Term 2016 - Frogs

   
The Science and Literature Reading Group returns for Easter Term 2016 with a series of meetings themed around frogs. The four sessions will explore various literary manifestations of frogs from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, and from pond-dwelling tadpole to taxidermied specimen.

Fortnightly meetings will take place in the Newnham Grange Seminar Room at Darwin College, on Monday evenings from 7.30-9pm. All are welcome! Organised by Melanie Keene (Homerton) and Charissa Varma (Darwin).
 

2nd May – Natural historical frogs

•  Edward Topsell, ‘of FROGS’, in The History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents (1658), pp. 718-726.

16th May – Experimental frogs

• W.T. Sedgwick, ‘On Variations of Reflex-Excitability in the Frog, Induced by Changes of Temperature’, in Studies from the Biological Laboratory (1883), pp. 385-410.

30th May – Anthropomorphic frogs

• Hermann Ploucquet, The Frogs who would a-woo-ing go’, in The Comical Creatures from Wurtemburg (1851), pp. 58-60.

• Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Jeremy Fisher (1906).

 13th June – Poetic frogs

• Christina Rossetti, ‘A Frog’s Fate’ (1885).
• Robert Graves, ‘The Frog and the Golden Ball’ (1965).
• Seamus Heaney, ‘Death of a Naturalist’ (1966).

Optional additional reading

• Charlotte Sleigh, Frog (2012).

Workshop - Nature(s), Humans and God(s) in Literature. Representations

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP, “HERMOUPOLIS SEMINARS”, SYROS, 8-9 JULY 2016

“NATURE(S), HUMANS AND GOD(S) IN LITERATURE. REPRESENTATIONS”

The International Commission on Science and Literature DHST/IUHPST, the Institute of Historical Research/ National Hellenic Research foundation and the Hellenic Open University organize a two-days’ workshop to study the representations of Nature, Humans and God(s) in Literature. The workshop is part of the very prestigious “Hermoupolis Seminars” which have been organized for more than 30 years every July on Syros Island.

The main question addressed by the papers of the workshop will be the scientific content of the nature(s)’, humans’ and god(s)’ representations in all forms of literature.  Furthermore, the role or lack thereof of scientific accuracy in such works will also be considered.

The venue of the workshop will be the “Historical Archives of the State” in the Town Hall of Hermoulis. Hermoupolis was once the capital of Greece and a city of great cultural, scientific and industrial heritage. Syros Island is very close to Pireaus by boat and an ideal place for quality, inexpensive summer holidays.

Those who are willing to participate in the workshop with a presentation may send an abstract of 200 words to gvlahakis@yahoo.com or  until 30 April 2016. 

Languages:  English, Greek, French, German

For participants giving a paper there will be a modest fee of 50 Euros and for those who will attend without a paper a fee of 40 Euros to cover administrational expenses.  There will be some hotels with reduced prices on offer for the participants but there are plenty of places, in Hermoupolis or close by, with very convenient prices.

Coffee and refreshments will be offered.

Cambridge Science Festival 2016

Booking is now open for the Cambridge Science Festival 2016 - lots of fantastic events that I'm sure will be of interest to members of the group. Details here.

The Most Exciting Poem Ever Written Is The Beaufort Wind Scale

By Mallory Ortberg at The Toast - article here.

CFP - 2nd International Conference on Science and Literature

COMMISSION ON SCIENCE AND LITERATURE DHST/IUHPST

2nd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE on SCIENCE & LITERATURE

7-9 September 2016, Pöllau, Austria

First call for papers

Following the successful 1st International Conference on Science and Literature which took place in Athens this Conference is the second to be organized under the aegis of the Commission on Science and Literature DHST/IUHPST. The second International Conference will be co-organized by the History of Physics Group/European Physical Society, Echophysics and the Victor Franz Hess Society with the technical support of the Hellenic Open University. As it was the case with the first Conference, the second one does not have a specific theme, as its intent continues to be the creation of an open forum for all scholars interested in Science and Literature, thus bringing into the dialogue multiple perspectives. Nevertheless, the Conference will be organized along thematic sessions, according to the papers which will be accepted by the Scientific Committee.

• Proposals for individual papers or panels of three or four papers should be submitted from 1st February until the 30th of April 2016. They must include the title of the paper (or the theme of the panel), name and affiliation of the author(s), an abstract of no more than 350 words and a short CV of up to five lines.
• A dedicated webpage will be available for the submission of the proposals.
• An international scientific committee will review the submissions and notice of acceptance will be sent two weeks after the deadline for the submission of proposals
• Registration: 1st February 2016 to June 30th 2016
• Registration fees (include coffee, tea, refreshments and Conference material): 150 Euros
  Fees for students and early career scholars: 75 Euros
• Participants are asked to make their own arrangements concerning their accommodation in Pöllau, but the Conference organizers will be happy to give any necessary assistance.

Further information will be included in the second CfP which will be circulated on 30th January 2016.

Job - Research Associate, ‘Unsettling Scientific Stories'

‘Unsettling Scientific Stories: expertise, narrative and future histories’ is an AHRC funded project which investigates how the history of the future was written over the course of the 20^th century. It examines the different ways in which the sciences were used by novelists, commentators, politicians and academics to envision the future history of western society, and how the public both informed and responded to these conceptualisations.

Working under the supervision of the project’s PI, you will take a lead role in developing one of the project’s key outcomes: an interactive imaginative participant ethnography, housed within the project’s website. This innovative methodology combines data generation with public engagement, building on the popular appetite for speculative fiction to encourage a two-way dialogue between the project and wider expert and lay publics. Additionally, you will cooperate closely with other project members (based in Newcastle and Aberystwyth) in order to develop the other project components, including other elements of the project website, be lead author on at least one peer-reviewed article arising out of the project’s work and assist in the organisation of conferences and meetings linked to the project.

You will need a PhD in the history/sociology of science, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience and you will need to find reading (or writing) SF an absorbing, fascinating and exciting pastime.

The salary will be £30,434 per year and the position is available for a period of up to 30 months.

Closing date: Midnight on Monday 23 November 2015

Further details here.

Michaelmas Term 2015

There will be no meetings of the Science and Literature Reading Group this term, but we hope to return in Lent Term 2016. More information will be posted here once available.