Best SCI Forum Podcasts (2025)

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Early Careers Workshop #7: Grant Writing Master Class 1:34:00

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1d ago1:34:00

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Topics: Think big questions and frame them well; crafting your grant; personal experience.Speakers: Gerardo Ienna is postdoctoral researcher at the University of Verona, Italy, and a Marie Curie global fellow (Grant Number 101026146). Simone Turchetti is Professor in history of science and technology at the Manchester University, UK, and PI of the …

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Early Careers Workshop #6: Content and Submission of Book Proposals 1:26:00

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Topics: Should I turn my dissertation into a book?; How to find the right press; how to approach editors; how to outline a book proposal; collective authorship and editing; why book series.Speaker: W. Patrick McCray is Professor at the History Department at the University of California Santa Barbara, USA, and a series editor for Johns Hopkins Unive…

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Early Careers Workshop #5: Roundtable Discussion on Collaborative Research & Writing 39:46

1d ago39:46

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Topics: Best practice in communication in teams; different ways of collaboration; are virtual tools a game changer; national styles; are we moving towards “big history”?Discussants: Olival Freire Jr. is Professor in history of science at the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil, and Director of the National Council for Scientific and Technological D…

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Early Careers Workshop #4: Career Diversity 24:13

1d ago24:13

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Topics: Academic vs non-academic jobs; Work-life balance; gender; transition out of academia.Speaker: Arwen Mohun is Professor in history at the University of Delaware, United States. Mohun has coordinated a working group on career diversity at the Consortium for History of Science Technology and Medicine.Recorded on April 10, 2025For more informat…

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DHST Early Career Workshop #1: Introduction in Writing Good & Fair Book Reviews 42:52

1d ago42:52

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Topics include: The nuts and bolts; communication with editors; deadlines; the balance of criticism; how to connect the book-under-review to previous work; why are novel disciplinary perspectives relevant?Speaker: Gleb Albert is Assistant Professor in General and Eastern European History at the University of Luzerne, Switzerland, and experienced bo…

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Christa Kuljian - Our Science, Ourselves 24:12

2M ago24:12

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Christa Kuljian discusses her book, Our Science, Ourselves: How Gender, Race, and Social Movements Shaped the Study of Science. Focusing on a network of female scientists who began to examine women in science, gender and science, and sexism and racism in the institutions of science, Kuljian helps to uncover the early days of feminist science studie…

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DHST Early Career Workshop #3: Roundtable Discussion on Journals as a Means of Shaping the Production & Dissemination of Knowledge 1:06:03

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Topics include: How to find suitable journals; how to respond to reviews; the role of journals in acdemic discourse; the policies and politics of journals.Discussants: Silvia Figueirôa is Professor at the University of Campinas, Brazil, and has edited several collective volumes. Joseph D. Martin is Associate Professor at Durham University, UK, chai…

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DHST Early Career Scholars Workshop #2: Best Practice in Oral History Interview and Analysis 55:29

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Topics include: What is oral history; limits and (dis-)advantages; biases; lessons from the practice; what to consider when producing and analyzing interviews; good technologies.Speakers: David Zierler is the Ronald and Maxine Linde Director of the Caltech Heritage Project, USA. Previously, David directed the Oral History Program at the American In…

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Perspectives from SCI Therapists: Amy, Rehabilitation Psychology 32:12

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Support the Northwest Regional SCI System by donating at www.acceleratemed.org/SCI.After listening, give us your feedback using this quick survey: redcap.link/sciforumpodAfter spinal cord injury, individuals often work with many different rehabilitation therapists and providers across both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation as they recover and…

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Psychedelics in America 1:22:27

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In this episode of Perspectives, we speak with Benjamin Breen and Jonathan Moreno on the history of psychedelic drugs in America.There is a resurgence of interest in psychedelics in the medical world as possible treatments for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This resurgence comes after a period during which psychedelic drugs were …

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Conversation with Elena Conis – Author of How to Sell a Poison, 2024 Welch Award Recipient 51:13

10M ago51:13

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Historians of medicine often express the desire for their work to reach broader audiences; however, popular platforms—be they television, radio, podcasts, corporate or social media—can reach many but touch few. History of Medicine Week is dedicated to exploring the risks, benefits, experiences, and best practices for historians of medicine to make …

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50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Dept of the Hist and Soc of Sci - History of Science 1:29:19

11M ago1:29:19

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In October 2022, the University of Pennsylvania HSS Department commemorated it's 50th anniversary, delayed two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over two days, alumni, faculty, and current students gathered to discuss the department's history, its contributions to the field and new directions scholarship might take.In this episode:Chair: Came…

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50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Dept of the Hist and Soc of Sci - History of Technology 1:34:04

11M ago1:34:04

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In October 2022, the University of Pennsylvania HSS Department commemorated it's 50th anniversary, delayed two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over two days, alumni, faculty, and current students gathered to discuss the department's history, its contributions to the field and new directions scholarship might take.In this episode:Chair: Zach…

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50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Dept of the Hist and Soc of Sci - Dept Founder Arnold Thackray 1:01:00

11M ago1:01:00

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In October 2022, the University of Pennsylvania HSS Department commemorated it's 50th anniversary, delayed two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over two days, alumni, faculty, and current students gathered to discuss the department's history, its contributions to the field and new directions scholarship might take.In this episode:Introductio…

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50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Hist and Soc of Sci - History of Medicine 1:15:47

11M ago1:15:47

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In October 2022, the University of Pennsylvania HSS Department commemorated it's 50th anniversary, delayed two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over two days, alumni, faculty, and current students gathered to discuss the department's history, its contributions to the field and new directions scholarship might take.In this episode:Chair: Leah…

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50+2 years of Scholarship: UPenn Dept of the Hist and Soc of Sci - Plenary Presentations 44:04

11M ago44:04

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In October 2022, the University of Pennsylvania HSS Department commemorated it's 50th anniversary, delayed two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over two days, alumni, faculty, and current students gathered to discuss the department's history, its contributions to the field and new directions scholarship might take.In this episode:Chair: M. S…

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The Joys and Perils of Relevant History 50:37

11M ago50:37

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Historians of medicine often express the desire for their work to reach broader audiences; however, popular platforms—be they television, radio, podcasts, corporate or social media—can reach many but touch few. History of Medicine Week is dedicated to exploring the risks, benefits, experiences, and best practices for historians of medicine to make …

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Beyond the Annual Meeting & History in Therapeutic Spaces 48:17

11M ago48:17

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Historians of medicine often express the desire for their work to reach broader audiences; however, popular platforms—be they television, radio, podcasts, corporate or social media—can reach many but touch few. History of Medicine Week is dedicated to exploring the risks, benefits, experiences, and best practices for historians of medicine to make …

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Connecting through Literature, Corporate Media, and the Museum 52:35

11M ago52:35

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Historians of medicine often express the desire for their work to reach broader audiences; however, popular platforms—be they television, radio, podcasts, corporate or social media—can reach many but touch few. History of Medicine Week is dedicated to exploring the risks, benefits, experiences, and best practices for historians of medicine to make …

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History of Science Society at 100: Mining in the history and social studies of science 52:44

1y ago52:44

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Join us for a discussion on the history of mining and the intersections of history of science with several other fields. How are mines sites of knowing the world, and how is that knowledge contested? How has our understanding of what a mine is changed over time, and what does that mean for how mines are studied? What can the methods and sources use…

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DNA Papers 15: A Conversation with Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl 57:58

1y ago57:58

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Tune in one last time to a bonus episode of The DNA Papers with the authors of "the most beautiful experiment in biology" as they reminisce about "the best years of their lives" and field questions from the commentators of episode 14. Series moderator Neeraja Sankaran was joined by historian of science Kersten Hall to co-host this special treat. Ma…

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History of Science Society at 100: History of Science in Song 58:49

1y ago58:49

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Four historians share their interests in music, and their perspectives in using songs as source material for better understanding the history of science.Antony Adler, Carleton CollegeAndrew Fiss, Michigan Technological UniversityAsif Siddiqi, Fordham UniversityBetty Smocovitis, University of FloridaSong Notes:(https://soundcloud.com/antony-adler/th…

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IsisCB on Pandemics - On Past, Present, and Possible Future, Pandemic Diseases 1:09:09

1+ y ago1:09:09

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Episode three of the podcast companion to the Isis CB special issue on pandemics, focuses on the very substance of pandemics, namely the diseases themselves. Join Mark Honigsbaum, Matheus Alves Duarte da Silva, and Michael Bresalier in a conversation about the impact of disease on history and on the condition of our planet vis-a-vis current disease…

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DNA Papers 14: Matthew Meselson, Franklin Stahl, and semiconservative replication of DNA 1:01:37

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The penultimate episode of the DNA Papers podcast series revisits a paper that demonstrated the semiconservative mode of DNA replication, which had been predicted by complementary base-paired double helix model of the molecule discussed in episode 13 of this series:Meselson, Matthew, and Franklin W. Stahl. “The replication of DNA in Escherichia col…

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DNA Papers #13 - James Watson, Francis Crick, and the DNA Double Helix × Status message 1:02:20

1+ y ago1:02:20

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Rounding out the story begun in the previous installment, episode 13 of the DNA Papers centers on the publications in which the double helical structure for DNA was proposed, detailed, and its various implications speculated upon. It features four papers, all by Watson and Crick from Cambridge,. Together these papers not only proposed that DNA’s th…

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Donald L. Opitz - Daughters of Ceres 18:21

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Don's book project, "Daughters of Ceres: The Scientific Advancement of Women in Horticulture, 1870–1920" examines the confluence of two 19th century movements—one dedicated to the promotion of scientific agriculture, another to the advancement of women's education in science. These movements fueled international efforts to elevate women's position …

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Rena Selya — Salvador Luria: An Immigrant Biologist in Cold War America 24:29

1+ y ago24:29

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In this episode, we speak with Rena Selya, the archivist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and author of Salvador Luria: An Immigrant Biologist in Cold War America.Blacklisted from federal funding review panels but awarded a Nobel Prize for his research on bacteriophage, biologist Salvador Luria (1912–1991) was as much an activist as a scientist. In t…

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DNA Papers #12: Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin, and the double helix model for DNA structure 1:19:18

1+ y ago1:19:18

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Episode 12 of the DNA Papers, is the first of a two-parter, which centers on papers published about the now iconic double helix structure of the DNA molecule. This episode features three publications, all published in the journal Nature, which represent the work of scientists working at King’s College London, whose X-ray crystallographic work provi…

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Vandersommers - Entangled Encounters at the National Zoo: Stories from the Animal Archive 25:03

2y ago25:03

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In this episode of Perspectives, we speak with Daniel Vandersommers, author of Entangled Encounters at the National Zoo: Stories from the Animal Archive. In this book, Vandersommers shows how zoo animals always ran away from the zoo. This is meant literally—animals escaped frequently—but even more so, figuratively. Living, breathing, historical zoo…

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Research Spotlight: Feasibility of Sprint Interval Training During Inpatient Rehabilitation 16:27

2y ago16:27

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Support the Northwest Regional SCI System by donating at http://www.acceleratemed.org/SCI.We are joined by Deborah Crane MD, a spinal cord injury physician, to hear about her study looking at the feasibility of short, but high intensity exercise program for people with new SCI. This 2-year study will be conducted on the inpatient unit at Harborview…

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Research Spotlight: Hypnotic Cognitive Therapy for Pain During Inpatient Rehab 16:22

2y ago16:22

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Support the Northwest Regional SCI System by donating at http://www.acceleratemed.org/SCI.After conducting a feasibility trial, Amy Starosta PhD, a rehabilitation psychologist, discusses her new randomized control trial of hypnotic cognitive therapy for pain. This is a 3-year study taking place on the inpatient rehabilitation unit at Harborview Med…

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Christopher Willoughby — Masters of Health: Racial Science and Slavery in U.S. Medical Schools 45:32

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In this episode of Perspectives we speak with Christopher Willoughby, author of Masters of Health: Racial Science and Slavery in U.S. Medical Schools. Masters of Health examines how the founders of U.S. medical schools promoted an understanding of race influenced by the theory of polygenesis—that each race was created separately and as different sp…

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DNA Papers #11: Hershey, Chase, and DNA as the material of heredity 1:07:30

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In episode 11 of The DNA Papers we revisit a paper describing a famous experiment performed by Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase which combined the atomic-age tools of radioisotopes with an ordinary kitchen blender to show that DNA alone, and not protein, was the carrier of hereditary information: Hershey, Alfred D., and Martha Chase. “Independent Fu…

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IsisCB on Pandemics - The Social and Political Dimensions of Pandemic Diseases 1:05:12

2y ago1:05:12

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Following in the wake of the Isis CB special issue on pandemics, this episode of the companion podcast takes a deeper look at the social and political contexts of pandemics, and also considers the impact of doing such a history during times of disease crises. Contributors Kavita Sivaramakrishnan, Keith Wailoo and Emily Hamilton share their insights…

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DNA Papers #10: Harriet Ephrussi-Taylor and Rollin Hotchkiss 56:41

2y ago56:41

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The tenth episode of the DNA papers podcast brings to light some of the lesser discussed papers in the history of DNA that were instrumental in confirming its role in effecting genetic transformation. Both papers discussed in this episode were first presented at the 1951 Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Quantitative Biology; the first by a geneticis…

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Empires of the Dead: Inca Mummies and the Peruvian Ancestors of American Anthropology 43:46

2y ago43:46

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In this episode of Perspectives, we speak with Christopher Heaney, author of Empires of the Dead: Inca Mummies and the Peruvian Ancestors of American Anthropology. Bringing together the history of science, race, and museums' possession of Indigenous remains, from the sixteenth century to the twentieth, Empires of the Dead illuminates how South Amer…

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DNA Papers #2: Albrecht Kossel 49:19

2y ago49:19

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DNA Papers #2: Albrecht Kossel by Consortium for History of Science, Technology and MedicineBy Consortium for History of Science, Technology and Medicine

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Who Does the Work of Science? A Century of Science as Passion, Punishment, and Paycheck 36:30

2y ago36:30

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Laura Stark is a historical sociologist and Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University. Her second book project, The Normals: A People’s History, explores how a global market for healthy civilian “human subjects” emerged in law, science, and everyday imagination over the past century. The Normals shows how logics of racialized citizenship were bu…

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History of Science Society at 100: Publications 44:07

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The current and incoming editors of the journal Isis reflect on their expectations, experiences, and hopes for the journal and for the field of the history of science.Sigrid Schmalzer, University of Massachusetts, AmherstElise Burton, University TorontoProjit Mukharji, Ashoka UniversityMatt Lavine, Mississippi State University Alexandra Hui, Missis…

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DNA Papers #9: Erwin Chargaff 1:03:24

2y ago1:03:24

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Episode 9 of the DNA Papers discusses a set of papers by the first scientist who made a sustained effort into uncovering the secret behind specificity of nucleic acids. The principle author, Erwin Chargaff, a European-American biochemist from Columbia University in New York, determined that the relative rations of the four nucleotide bases—A, T, G …

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History of Science Society at 100: Global Perspectives 59:22

2y ago59:22

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Join us for a discussion of history of science from the perspectives of Latin American, African, and Ottoman history — and global history more broadly. How have these perspectives been represented in the past? What has changed more recently? What are the pressing questions and challenges for the future of the field from a global perspective? Sharin…

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DNA Papers #8: Maclyn McCarty and Oswald Avery 53:05

2y ago53:05

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In Episode 8 of the DNA papers, we discuss the papers that directly followed up the discovery of the 1944 paper from episode 7. These papers, which have received little attention in histories of DNA, describe the purification and experimental use of an enzyme, desoxyribonuclease, or DNase, which specifically destroys DNA. By showing how the transfo…

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History of Science Society at 100: HSS at the Movies 1:04:00

2y ago1:04:00

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Moviegoers who might never pick up a book on the history of science may nonetheless find themselves confronted with the stories, themes, and questions to which historians of science devote their careers when they go to the movies. Films and other forms of popular culture both reflect and shape public discourse about the significance of scientific d…

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DNA Papers # 7: Avery, McLeod and McCarty 1:17:09

2y ago1:17:09

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The seventh episode of the DNA Papers is the central one in this podcast series, not only because it marks the halfway point of the podcast, but also, more so, because the paper discussed is at the center of the history of all twentieth century biology. Written by a trio of microbiologists at the Rockefeller University in New York City, this paper …

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History of Science Society at 100: Women Historians of Science 46:25

2y ago46:25

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The discovery of a never-released report from 1973 on women in the History of Science Society provides an opportunity to reflect on how much things have changed, what has not changed, and challenges that remain for improving inclusion in the Society. Discussants in this episode are:Tara Nummedal, Brown UniversitySamantha Muka, Stevens Institute of …

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Adam Fulton Johnson — Information Control and Indigenous Politics of Documentation 17:16

2y ago17:16

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In this episode of Perspectives, we speak with Adam Johnson, Consortium NEH Fellow. Adam introduces us to his book project, which examines the shifting relationships between white ethnographic fieldworkers and Pueblo and Navajo communities in the American Southwest around the documentation of sensitive information. By contrasting Anglo universalist…

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DNA Papers #6: William Astbury and Florence Bell 1:03:15

2y ago1:03:15

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The sixth installment of this podcast series introduces a brand new player into the story of DNA: a technique from physics called X-ray crystallography. This technique would eventually play a key role in unlocking the secrets of DNA structure, but this 1938 paper by Leeds-based scientists William Astbury and Florence Bell marks the first instance o…

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History of Science Society at 100: Society Presidents 41:46

2+ y ago41:46

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As the History of Science Society approaches its centennial celebration in 2024, its members reflect on the past 100 years of the profession, its fascinations and preoccupations, and its possible future in an increasingly globalized world. HSS@100 is produced in partnership with the History of Science Society.Where has the Society been and where wi…

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DNA Papers #5: Phoebus Levene 55:47

2+ y ago55:47

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Episode 5 of the DNA papers examines the contributions of the organic chemist Phoebus Levene, who published a corpus of some 200 papers on the subject over a period of four decades, during which he made discoveries about the constituents of, and developed his ideas about the structure of, DNA. Among other things, he was the first person to correctl…

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IsisCB on Pandemics: Fundamental Concepts in Understanding Pandemic Diseases 49:55

2+ y ago49:55

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This episode of the IsisCB Pandemics series features contributors who wrote and reviewed bibliographic essays surveying the literature about concepts fundamental to our understanding of pandemic and epidemic diseases, such as the broad disciplinary category of epidemiology, as well as the specific concepts of vaccinations and syndemics. Offering th…