Militant Science. European Physicists and the Emergence of Transnational Radical Science Movements

ended

MISHA’s research objective is to understand the transnational emergence and flourishing of radical science movements with a particular focus on the physics communities in Italy, France, United Kingdom, and the United States. I aim at elucidating the dynamic of the two-way transfer of knowledge and people between the US and Europe. The project consists of the following research actions: archival research (e.g., Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics, Cambridge University Library, Wellcome Library, Archives de Jussieu, Sorbonne, Fondazione Lelio e Lisli Basso, University of Rome La Sapienza, Archivio della Società Italiana di Fisica); systematic analysis of written sources, (European and American journals, monographs, and translations of essays and articles); reconstruction of scientific networks from the examination of conferences proceedings, summer schools programs and lectures, and seminars, as well as programmatic documents; reconstruction of institutional and informal networks (political militancy, correspondences, internal reports); definition of the epistemological and political features of the debate on non-neutrality in science at transnational European level. On the methodological side, I will employ the most advanced conceptual tools of transnational history and political epistemology to provide an integrated narrative able to combine political, philosophical, and historical analysis.