91673 - History of Scientific Institutions

Learning outcomes

History of scientific institutions. At the end of the course the student will gain the competencies required to follow the development of modern and contemporary scientific knowledge and its relations with the civil, economic and social scene, with special reference to Italy, through the history of scientific and cultural institutions, analysed primarily on the basis of archival and museum sources.

Course contents

Science is a set of relationships between people, discourses, places of research and dissemination of knowledge; it is a system of institutions, explanatory models and cultural contexts within which scientists have completed and carry out their work.. The course, through a series of exemplary cases, aims to present illustrious figures of male and female scientists  inserted in their political and social context as well as professional, so as to grasp the relationships that science establishes with society. On the one hand, science interacts with other cultural expressions; on the other, the process of integration between science and society also travels in the opposite direction. Like all human activities, research develops within contexts that condition it. It depends on the periods of war and peace, on economic interests, on political power and on its programmatic choices, on the funds granted. To illustrate these dynamics we will examine some Italian and other stories. We start with the Risorgimento to get to the eve of World War II. 

Main topics:

The pre-unification congresses of Italian scientists and the first attempts to build a national identity also through contacts with the international scientific team; the proclamation of the unification of Italy and the scientific policy of the geologist and minister Quintino Sella towards the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and the University of Rome; the question of laboratories, technology transfer (in the cases of Meucci, Pacinotti, Ferraris), the birth of a first major research institute (the Blaserna Physics Institute of Rome in 1881); the activity of physicist-mathematician and senator Vito Volterra, manager of scientific culture, as well as founder and first president of the National Research Council (CNR) and his successor Guglielmo Marconi; the first Nobel Laureates (the doctor Golgi and the physicist Marconi); science and the First World War; the postwar period: science and politics during fascism; another Nobel Prize: Enrico Fermi's nuclear research at the Institute of Physics in Rome. These phases of great changes in Italian society and scientific culture had a notable impact on the publishing market. The cases of two scientific publishing companies will be examined: "Scientia:organo internazionale di sintesi scientifica",  L'Enciclopedia italiana  Treccani (with particular regard to the scientific section) and The "Congresso del libro" (1917) held in Milan. 

Readings/Bibliography

For basic knowledge reading is recommended M. Beretta, Storia materiale della scienza, Carocci, 2017, chapters 2° "Scienza e comunicazione" e 13° "Professione scienziato".

 

The program for attending students consists of studying the notes of the lectures and the following textbooks

A. Guerraggio, P. Nastasi, L'Italia degli scienziati. 150 anni di storia nazionale, Bruno Mondadori, 2010, pp. 7-240.

S. Linguerri, La grande festa della scienza. Federigo Enriques ed Eugenio Rignano", Franco Angeli, 2005, pp. 11-28; 48-70; 85-104.

1925-1995. La Treccani compie 70 anni. Mostra storico-documentaria, Treccani 1995, pp. 69-80; 333-357.

Non-attending students are invited to contact the teacher and to study also M.A. Ariaudo, Angelo Fortunato Formiggini, profilo di un editore. Un signore che si diverte a pubblicare libri belli, La scuola di Pitagora editrice, 2018, in particolare pp. 91-166.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons.

Active participation is encouraged, including asking questions and discussing issues to be expanded on. Lectures will alternate with seminars; students will have the opportunity to attend conferences given by experts, to watch videos and explore websites, and to visit museums and/or libraries. At the end of each lesson, 15 minutes will be dedicated to questions, requests for clarification, etc.

Receipt:

During the period of the lessons the teacher receives, by appointment to be fixed by writing to the address sandra.linguerri@unibo.it, on Tuesday from 5 to 6 pm at Palazzo S. Croce, Via Guaccimanni 42, Ravenna

Outside the lectures period the teacher receives Monday from 10 to 11 - by appointment to be fixed by writing to the address sandra.linguerri@unibo.it - in his own studio in Via Zamboni 38, Bologna, II floor (studio 4.07)

Period: I semester

Schedules, classrooms, start date of lessons: The course follows the educational calendar of the School of Arts and Cultural Heritage. Beginning of the course, schedules and classrooms will be published by the Educational Office of the School

It is strongly recommended that you look assiduously at the notices that the teacher puts on his site to report any changes to the calendar.

Assessment methods

 Oral exam, lasting about 30 minutes, includes a check: - basic knowledge of the program: the assessment is carried out on the basis of the texts indicated in the bibliography - the ability to understand the problems faced during the lessons - knowledge of the discipline in its historical development - the ability to frame the objects / problems studied in their context, and to discuss them critically - the quality of oral expression and the ability to construct a logical-argumentative type of speech

The exam will be structured in 2 parts: 1) Some brief notional questions, to check the careful reading and the knowledge of the exam texts; 2) Two / three open questions of more general-interpretative cutting (the student has the opportunity to write a short written essay of about 5 folders to be delivered a few days before the exam and that will be discussed).

The assignment will be marked on the basis of the student’s ability to gather and select the appropriate information to be able to effectively illustrate and link topics and issues

Specifically :

The achievement of an organic and articulate view, the detailed knowledge of the sources, the ability to critically analyze the arguments put forward and the appropriate use of language will result in excellent marks (28-30L). A correct knowledge of the sources, but no critical analysis, and an appropriate use of the language, but at times imprecise, will result in a good mark (25-27). Mnemonic learning of the subject, ability to synthesize but inability to critically elaborate on the topic, appropriate use of language but no use of specific language will result in a fair mark (22-24). Minimal knowledge of the course and/or inappropriate use of language will result in low marks (18-21). Severe lack of knowledge, severely inappropriate use of language and lack of critical thinking and organization skills will result in a fail.

The use of textbooks, notes or any electronic device is not allowed during the examination.

Teaching tools

During the lesson, the teacher uses PowerPoint slides (uploaded on the Virtual platform; they constitute an aid to the lesson that supplements but does not replace the teaching material indicated under the heading Texts / Bibliography), films and scientific documentaries.

Office hours

See the website of Sandra Linguerri