Small Science Workshop [2-3 February 2023]
Small Science: Perspectives on Contemporary Small-Scale Research
An International Workshop organized in the framework of research project PID2019-105131GB-I00 “Small science: a historical survey of contemporary small-scale research”, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. An in person event that may be followed remotely (link below).
Through the second half of the 20th century, the rise of Big Science eclipsed the work by researchers producing substantial knowledge with modest means. Since the turn of the century, however, a concern for small ways of knowing and doing is noticeable. Increasing attention is being paid, in the current planetary crisis, to “frugal”, “slow”, “thrifty” or “minor" research practices. This workshop aims to place these practices in historical perspective.
9.30–11.00 h Why small science?
Gemma Cirac-Claveras (UAB), Enric Pérez Canals (UB), Eóin Phillips (URLl) and Xavier Roqué (UAB)
Coffee break
11.30–13.00 h Gender
Nurit Kirsh (The Open University of Israel); “The Hospital Laboratory and the Home Kitchen: Different Sites for Scientific Knowledge Producing”
Brigitte van Tiggelen (Science History Institute, Philadelphia); “Small science as heroic beginnings. Agnes Pockels and the history of surface science”
Wiktoria Woźniak-Konieczka (Doctoral School of Humanities Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland); “Materialising of the invisible - technofeminism from a minor science perspective”
Lunch break
14.30–15.30 h Interactions
Hemant Kumar (Centre for Studies in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, School of Social Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar), Saradindu Bhaduri (Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi); “When ‘small science’ meets the ‘big science’;
" Exploring the relationship of grassroots innovations and formal sector institutions in India”
Jordi Fornés de Juan (UPC, Barcelona); “Unix: Small Science as a leftover from Big Science”
16.00–17.30 h Cyclotron
Jahnavi Phalkey (Science Gallery Bengaluru, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, online); “Cyclotron", film screening and discussion
9.30–11.00 h Scale
Eduard Aibar (Estudis de Ciència i Tecnologia, UOC, Barcelona); “Small Science, little fraud? Scale and misconduct in contemporary science”
Gretchen Gano (Prescott College, Prescott, AZ); “Setting Agendas for Small Science”
Sebastián Ureta (Departamento de Sociología, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Chile); “The Bigger the Better? Fighting environmental crises, one small lab at the time”
Coffee break
11.30–13.00 h Frugality
Nupur Chowdhury (Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi), Saradindu Bhaduri (Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), Bibhuti Ranjan Bhattacharjya (Department of Design, IIT-Roorkee), Rajiv K. Mishra (JNU), Bhaskarjit Neog (JNU), Rupamanjari Sinha Ray (MDI, Gurgaon, Delhi-NCR), Padmaza Talukdar (JNU);
“Validating frugal technologies: Two cases from India”
Jaume Valentines-Álvarez (UAB); “Tilting at ‘Nuclearmills’? Wind Energy, Grassroots Networks and Technologies of Protest in Spain, 1976–1984”
Shekhar Jain (Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi); “Jury-rigged or something more: Understand the ‘Jugaad’ Vehicle phenomenon”
Lunch break
14.30–16.00 h Social sciences
Eve Seguin (Department of Political Science, Université du Québec à Montréal), Laurent-Olivier Lord (Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge); “The Rise of Big Science in Social Science”
Melinda Harlov-Csortán (Apor Vilmos Catholic College, Vác, Hungary); “A case study in heritage research”
Laurent-Olivier Lord (Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge), Eve Seguin (Department of Political Science, Université du Québec à Montréal); “Braidotti’s Minor Social Science. An Appraisal”
16.30–17.30 h Discussion