Cambridge Lecture in the History of Medicine
Keith Wailoo (Princeton University) gave the Cambridge Lecture in the History of Medicine on Thursday 6 March: 'Unnecessary sleep: opium, the trial of Ann, and the therapeutic dilemma of slavery'.
The Cavendish Laboratory and the birth of the atomic age
A new exhibition in the Whipple Museum marks 150 years since the founding of the Cavendish Laboratory of Experimental Physics.
First Annual Mary Hesse Lecture
'In Praise of the Inexact, the Inelegant and the Unassuming', the First Annual Mary Hesse Lecture in the Philosophy and History of Science, was given by Professor Nancy Cartwright on 24 October 2024.
New research asks us to rethink the impact of oceanic travel on our view of the world
Drawing our movement through the world as a line on a map is not an obvious idea. It has deep historical roots, and many of them can be found in maritime voyages. This is the argument made by Dr Sara Caputo in her new book Tracks on the Ocean: A History of Trailblazing, Maps and Maritime Travel.
Revolution: nature in the time of change
A new exhibition at the Linnean Society in London highlights the crucial role of indigenous artists in the decades around 1800 – one of the most important periods for the progression of natural history knowledge. The exhibition is co-curated by Edwin Rose and Staffan Müller-Wille.
Sheryl Wombell wins 2024/25 Freer Prize Fellowship
The Royal Institution has awarded the prize for Sheryl Wombell's research into the spread of medical knowledge among 17th-century elites.
The rise, fall and revival of research on human development
Analysing the past sheds light on the present resurgence of research on human development. That's the lesson of a new study by Nick Hopwood published in the Journal of the History of Biology.
Unveiling Darwin's treasures
Edwin Rose on the 200-year-old plant specimens collected on the Beagle voyage.
Jim Bennett (1947–2023)
Jim Bennett, pre-eminent historian of scientific instruments and former Curator of the Whipple Museum, has died at the age of 76.
50th anniversary celebration
An event marking the 50th anniversary of the Department was held on 13–14 July 2023.
On the origins of Cambridge HPS: A 50th anniversary reflection
The Department of History and Philosophy of Science was established 50 years ago, on 1 August 1972, but the story of Cambridge HPS begins in the 1930s.