The Self-Understanding of the Natural Sciences
This area of focus examines how the natural sciences come to understand themselves and how that understanding changes over time. How do research practices and cultural interpretations relate to one another? How do binding standards emerge for evidence and knowledge? How are scientific transformations of the kind triggered, say, by Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity possible?
Some related events:
The symposium series on the five senses: ÜberSinnliches. Sechste Sinne [Extrasensory. Sixth Senses] (2017); Unerhört! [“Unheard of!”] (2015); Sapere gaude! Über das Schmecken [“Sapere gaude! On Taste”] (2013); Tausendmal berührt [“Touched one thousand times!”] (2013); Follow Your Nose! On Smell (2012)
Conferences and workshops:
Vom Internet der Tiere, oder Die Natur nach der Natur [“On the internet of animals, or, nature after nature”] (2015)
Talking Brains: Problems and Perspectives of the Neurosciences (2010)
Universum oder Multiversum? Offene Fragen der modernen Physik und die Zukunft des Anthropischen Prinzips [“Universe or multiverse? Open questions of modern physics and the future of the anthropic principle“] (2008)
Einstein for the 21st Century (2005; co-organized with Peter Galison, Gerald Holton, and Silvan S. Schweber)
On Time (2001; co-organized with David Z. Albert and Jürgen Ehlers)
The Two Cultures (1999)
Single lectures from Lorraine Daston, Richard Dawkins, Ottmar Edenhofer, Brigitte Falkenburg, Peter Galison, Vittorio Gallese, Gerd Gigerenzer, Brian Greene, David C. Gross, Hanoch Gutfreund, Ian Hacking, Gerald Holton, Jean-Marie Lehn, Hermann Nicolai, Wolfgang Prinz, Lisa Randall, Josef H. Reichholf, Silvan Schweber, Peter H. Seeberger, Michael Tomasello, and Frans de Waal
Selected publications:
Dominic Bonfiglio, shooting script for Der dufte Sinn, ZDF 2015
Peter Galison, Gerald Holton, Silvan S. Schweber (ed.), Einstein for the 21st Century. His Legacy in Science, Art, and Modern Culture (2008)
Matthias Kroß (ed.), Vom Selbstverständnis der Naturwissenschaften (2001)
Gary Smith and Matthias Kroß (eds.), Die ungewisse Evidenz: Für eine Kulturgeschichte des Beweises (1998)