Staffan Bergwik: ”Temporalities of Science: Constructing Past, Present, and Future of Knowledge 1945-1980”.

Abstract:

Based on an ongoing research project, this talk addresses the crossroads of history of science and research on historical time. While these fields have largely developed independently, understanding temporalities in the postwar Western world requires an analysis of the role of the sciences. Empirically focusing on scientometrics and environmental discourse in the 1960s and 1970s, I will discuss temporalities of science, i.e. perceptions of past, present, and future, as well as visions of historical trajectories, periods, and rhythms at the nexus of science and society. Moreover, I will discuss the analytical idea of “time-binding techniques” to understand how actors portrayed timescales through language and imagery. Ultimately, the talk probes how contemporary debates in the humanities about “temporalization” resonate with research in history of science.