Scientific myth-histories: The aftershocks of demarcation

Abstract:  In the aftermath of the deadly L’Aquila earthquake of 2009 and the social aftershocks that reverberated throughout scientific communities, many were left wondering how a fundamental misunderstanding of science and scientific uncertainty could lead to the convictions of seven Italian scientists and engineers for manslaughter. Some observers have tied this, and other recent controversies, to a wide-ranging and irrational war on science. My analysis of events in L’Aquila probes the impact of the stories scientists tell. What this case shows is that the fundamental dissonance between the practices and portrayals of science is difficult for non-scientists to metabolize and undoubtedly contributes to the current culture of scientific doubt.

Bio:  José G. Perillán received a joint doctorate in Physics and History from the University of Rochester in 2011. Currently, he is an Associate Professor at Vassar College, holding a joint appointment in the Department of Physics & Astronomy and the Multidisciplinary Program on Science, Technology, and Society (STS). In preparing courses ranging from quantum physics to upper-level seminars on techno-scientific futures, Perillán moves fluidly among frameworks and modalities. This relentless pivoting requires a high degree of adaptability and empathy, harnessed for his latest research project on Science Between Myth and History. The book, published in June 2021 with Oxford University Press, seeks common ground on controversial matters of scientific narrative and emerges from Perillán’s experience teaching undergraduate courses in physics, history of science, and STS. As a multidisciplinary teacher and scholar, Perillán has consistently dedicated himself to enriching interdisciplinary discourse about science, and attracting students from more diverse backgrounds to scientific careers.

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