A late floral flourish from the garden, a stone cold classic board game, and watching the son nail his part in Elf. A Advent family weekend for the ages.

Finally, the recording has landed! If you missed @jontopham.bsky.social's inaugural lecture on "Science and religion from the ground up" back in April, you can now catch up online at mymedia.leeds.ac.uk/Mediasite/Pl.... @bshsnews.bsky.social @leedsprhs.bsky.social

The 2026 SSHM Conference will be @universityofleeds.bsky.social. The theme will be In/Out and we are inviting papers that consider experiences of being in and/or out of health or health care in any period or geographical location. #HistMed #HistSTM sshm.org/sshm-2026/

An early start today: heading down to deliver a training session for heritage volunteers at Barts North Wing. Really looking forward to discussing how we can engage visitors responsibly in histories of health, illness and disability bartsnorthwing.org.uk

A super seminar line-up for the coming Semester! All talks will be hybrid, with joining details on the @hpsleeds.bsky.social website #histsci #philsci #HPS

Congratulations to PhD researcher Monica Stenzel, who has secured a grant from @pasoldresearchfund.bsky.social to support her project on the history of "wool science"! Supervised by @kingtekkers.bsky.social and @graemegooday.bsky.social, her work bridges science, textiles and sustainability #histsci

📣Exciting News 📣 Dates & host institution for the SSHM Biennial Conference #SSHM2026 are confirmed! Save the Date in your planners 📅 Theme and CFPs to follow later #histmed #medhumanities #histSTM

Sloped off a bit early today before the evening plenary, but not before a chance to showcase my support for the history/philosophy of marine science…. Even whales can reach for the moon! #ISHPSSB2025

@crinamoreno.bsky.social is first in the second session of “Microbes and Gender” panel. A fascinating account of discovery in beta-lactamase research, focusing on Clara Roy and Karen Bush. Fascinating to see this as a connection between clinical microbiology and experimental biology #ISHPSSB2025

If you are a multi species enthusiast, see here! #ISHPSSB2025 #histbio #histsci #HPS

Eiko Honda offers us amazing insights into Minakata Kumagusu (1867-1941), who elaborated a “cellular metaphysics” through his investigations of slime mould in 1890s. He challenged binaries by drawing on both science and Buddhist philosophy, and critiqued materialism #ISHPSSB2025

Just waiting for “Microbes and Gender” to get started - such an exciting session in prospect! The organisers say…

Feeling really ropey this morning, so grateful to be able to join the Classification panel remotely. Super first paper from George Alexandrou exploring classification of cell types, and it’ll be followed by two Matthews - Slater and Barker - on “norm-driven” classification #ISHPSSB2025 #philbio

A super, jam-packed first full day of #ISHPSSB2025! Rounding it off with a jaunt around Boavista to grab some food and a beer, including some lovely street art, evening sunshine, and squawking gulls overhead. (Spotted a very fine U. Porto stained glass window at our conference venue too!)

To finish off Day 1, a first “mini-plenary” on the history, philosophy and social studies of marine science aka. “Discovering the Sea”. Let’s dive in! #ISHPSSB2025

@merikatariina.bsky.social kicks off the next session on “Oceans and Deserts”. She starts with a great question: “what is a good life for an animal?” She’s interested in tensions between captivity and the wild. We’re going to be hearing about dolphins! #ISHPSSB2025

In “Concepts and Principles for the New Biology: Development, Disruption and Normalization”, some provocative questions about whether changes caused by disruption should inevitably be thought of as “negative” or a “loss”. Mix of historical, philosophical and experimental papers at #ISHPSSB2025

After a quick wander through the beautiful neighbouring Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, back for a session exploring “Concepts and Principles for the New Biology: Development, Disruption and Normalization” #ISHPSSB2025

Sadly I have an unmissable work meeting to attend from 12.30-2.30 today, so skipping some sessions at #ISHPSSB2025. However, I need to comment on the most gorgeous conference design theme, and high-quality swag, that I’ve ever experienced. Beautiful green, bold design - classy!

@andrameneganzin.bsky.social and Matteo Bedetti (the latter pictured), guide us through a fascinating case in a “failure” to adhere to evidentiary standards in burial of Homo naledi. Part of a super session on “Abusing Deep Time”, ft. an image of beautiful fountain near our venue! #ISHPSSB2025

In Porto for #ISHPSSB2025 and spending a day or so exploring this wonderful city before things get going!

Whoop! Amazing to see this brilliant book: out now! Congratulations, @ellenclarke.bsky.social! #PhilBio #HPS

Gearing up for #ISHPSSB2025 at the end of this month. Really excited to share my research on microbial collections, catch up with friends and colleagues, and experience the amazing work going on across #HPBio

Tomorrow at 3.15pm, catch Prof Greg Radick delivering the 2025 JBS Haldane Lecture on "The New Genetics Meets the New History of Genetics”. Details here: genetics.org.uk/events/genet... #histsci #HPS

Absolutely stunning first couple of honeymoon days en Corse. Breathtaking scenery, wonderful food, the warmest of welcomes, and gentle tolerance of my basic French language skills!

Out-of-office is on: honeymoon bound! ☀️ 🏖️

Last day or two for early-bird registration for this wonderful meeting! Cannot wait to be there at #ISHPSSB2025 for one of the friendliest, most open-minded and supportive conferences there is #histsci #hpbio #histSTM #hbio

A superb write-up of the @bshsnews.bsky.social PG Conference from two attendees. It was by all accounts a great success, and a real pleasure to see our @leedsprhs.bsky.social and @hpsleeds.bsky.social postgraduate community deliver such a wonderful event! #histsci #histSTM

Coming soon: reports from attendees, photos and even a film which capture the @bshsnews.bsky.social Postgraduate Conference hosted by our wonderful PG community last month. We're still basking in the warm glow of this amazing event! pg-conference.bshs.org.uk #histsci #histSTM

This Friday, why not listen to @kingtekkers.bsky.social talking with @graemegooday.bsky.social about Physical Sciences on The Science of 1875 podcast. open.spotify.com/episode/5Dln...

Very much looking forward to hearing this paper from @charusingh.bsky.social later today! Join us in Baines Wing 1.06!

Two of my favourite ceilings in one day! Smithfield market and the @britishlibrary.bsky.social both looking absolutely fresh in the sunshine.

Travel and hotel booked for #ISHPSSB2025 meeting. Very much looking forward to spending some time in Porto for what promises to be a hugely stimulating and enjoyable conference! #histsci #HPBio #HPS #philsci

Wonderful to be in conversation with friend, colleague, and fellow adventurer in late nineteenth-century medical science, Dr Mike Finn! Enter the world of the history of psychiatry...

Some super seminars coming up in the next couple of weeks, four of which will be available to join online!

New (open access) article time! The first arising from my @britishacademy.bsky.social project exploring the history of culture collections. If you’re into microbes, biological sciences, scientific infrastructure, or power dynamics in science it could be your thing… link.springer.com/article/10.1...

This is going to be such a special event! Hosted by @hpsleeds.bsky.social and supported jointly by @leedsprhs.bsky.social and @bshsnews.bsky.social, these are occasions for us to celebrate wonderful colleagues and their achievements. Cannot wait to hear from @jontopham.bsky.social later...

It’s such a pleasure to see our wonderful postgraduate community coming together to host this conference! #histsci #histSTM

Such a pleasure to chat with @graemegooday.bsky.social about the importance of the physical sciences for the establishment of the Yorkshire College of Science!

This one is especially super! A great listen, exploring how physics and chemistry were fundamental to the application of science to industry in the 1870s!

What have literature and science got in common? Did you know that science ran through the works of famous children's author Lewis Carroll? Have a listen to @frankendodo.bsky.social talking to @kingtekkers.bsky.social on the Science of 1875 podcast. open.spotify.com/episode/1iVl...

Featuring a two-headed fish, biblical herbarium, and a finger infected with anthrax... If you're in need of some inspiration about science's many pasts, its present and its many possible futures, this is the place to go! #histsci

Two Collaborative PhD Studentships in History of Science The Centre for History & Philosophy of Science is offering two fully-funded PhD scholarships to support research in the history of science and gender, and the history of trust in meteorology. The two projects – supported by Collaborative…

A wonderful opportunity to apply for a fully-funded collaborative PhD studentship in partnership with @royalsociety.org. "Weather Sceptics: Almanacs and the Making of Scientific Meteorology in Nineteenth-Century Britain". Deadline 6 May. See link for full details. #histsci @bshsnews.bsky.social

#JobFairy - 6(!) post-doc positions available in #MedHums at Durham Uni - 2 Visual Medical Humanities, 1 The Moving Bodies Lab (ex/sport focused) & 3 Bridging Fellows (v. recent PhDs) #histSTM medhumsplatform.org/work-with-us/

Lovely to attend the launch of SICK and SICK TOO - a pair of parallel exhibitions at @lulgalleries.bsky.social by Sarah Roberts. It was a real privilege to host Sarah for some sessions with the LivingBodiesObjects project, and to see her draw inspiration from collections in @hpsleeds.bsky.social!

Our latest podcast episode is out! Hear our own @frankendodo.bsky.social chat with @kingtekkers.bsky.social about the relationships between literature and science in the nineteenth century. Featuring Lewis Carroll and public debates about science open.spotify.com/episode/1iVl... #histsci #HPS

This Mothering Sunday, as every day, completely in awe of Kristina - mum extraordinaire and the total core of our family.

Yesterday it was such a great pleasure to join with staff at @wellcomecollection.bsky.social as a guest for a workshop day exploring the pasts and presents of #ageing. We finished with a creative activity, making speech bubbles of what our older self might say…! #histmed #histsci #skystorians

📢Upcoming lecture! Professor Jon Topham jontopham.bsky.social on ‘Science and Religion from the Ground Up’ Join us for this joint event between the BSHS, hpsleeds.bsky.social and leedsprhs.bsky.social in Leeds and online! 📆Friday 25th April, 2025 | 3.30pm–5.00pm www.eventbrite.com/e/science-an...