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The Department of the History of Science is a lively interdisciplinary community of scholars and students who seek to advance understanding of science, technology, and medicine in their historical and social contexts. 

Our faculty and students come from diverse backgrounds and employ diverse approaches. We examine the past and present workings of science, technology, and medicine, the basis of their authority, the ethical and political dimensions of their regulation and applications, and the relationships among them and larger intellectual, cultural, social, and political trends and changes. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are fundamental to the Department’s mission and identity, not only as moral and social goods, but because they make possible the advancement of knowledge central to our understanding of history and the world about us. 

 

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Study by Naomi Oreskes & Geoffrey Supran profiled in New York Times

August 23, 2017
The New York Times profiled an important new study by History of Science Professor Naomi Oreskes and postdoc Geoffrey Supran on climate change research and the politics of doubt-mongering in the case of Exxon-Mobil. They analyze four decades of documents from the company and find clear evidence of a strategy to mislead the public. Find written and video abstracts for study here. Read more about Study by Naomi Oreskes & Geoffrey Supran profiled in New York Times
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Rachel Carson New PBS docu "Rachel Carson" features Naomi Oreskes.
A new PBS "American Experience" episode, "Rachel Carson," presents a riveting portrait of the woman whose groundbreaking books revolutionized our understanding of humankind's relationship to Nature, and helped foster the modern environmental movement in the US, and around the world. Prof. Naomi Oreskes lends her expert knowledge and unique viewpoint to the proceedings. Watch the full episode at pbs.org.