Annual lectures

Mary Hesse Lecture

Established in 2024, the annual Mary Hesse Lecture in the Philosophy and History of Science explores the nature of scientific knowledge with attention to its historical, social and cultural contexts. The first two Hesse Lectures were delivered by Nancy Cartwright (2024) and Helen Longino (2025).

This annual lecture is named in honour of Professor Mary Hesse, who was the first person in Cambridge to be appointed as the Professor of History and Philosophy of Science. She made her initial reputation through her work in the philosophical history of the physical sciences. Topics of her later research included the use of models and analogies in scientific investigations, social and hermeneutic theories in the philosophy of science, and the interaction between science and religion. Hesse was a key figure in establishing our department's global academic reputation, and a pioneering role model for women in the field of HPS. The Mary Hesse Lecture continues her innovative approach to our understanding of the sciences.

Cambridge Lecture in the History of Medicine

The Cambridge Lecture in the History of Medicine showcases international scholarship in history of medicine and health broadly understood. Founded in 2005, it serves as an annual event for the community of medical historians in and around the city. The lecturer also leads a morning workshop on a pre-circulated paper. The Wellcome Trust funded the lecture from 2005 to 2024.

Anita McConnell Lecture

The annual Anita McConnell Lecture celebrates world-class scholarship on the history of scientific material culture. Founded in 2020, the lecture is named in honour of Anita McConnell, a renowned historian of scientific instruments and a lifelong friend of our Department.

The lecture is organised by the Department's museum, the Whipple Museum of the History of Science. The Whipple was founded in 1944 with a mission to promote the use of its collections in history of science teaching and research, an ethos that it continues to pursue today, and to celebrate through the McConnell Lecture.

Hans Rausing Lecture

The annual Rausing Lecture, named in honour of the late philanthropist and friend of Cambridge Hans Anders Rausing, explores the history of technology and industry. Beginning in 1996, it has covered topics ranging from medical science, to colonialism, to breakthroughs in digital technology.