Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

Poster of the MPIWG Institute’s Colloquium. It features the titles of its five events below an image that shows a colorful mixture of liquids in red, orange, yellow, green, and violet.

Our Institute’s Colloquium Program 2025–26 is now available online! This year we will be "Rethinking Time in the History of Science" 🕰️⌚️

📍 MPIWG & Harnack-Haus

🔗 For the full program and information on registration, please check bit.ly/42Zq98m

#HistSci #DeepTime #Anthropology #ReligiousStudies

📢: Our workshop "Playing with the Past: Reconstructing Ancient Games" at the Berlin Science Week is now sold out. Didn't get tickets? Don't worry, we are planning more workshops in Berlin in the spring of 2026, so stay tuned for updates!

@mpiwg.bsky.social

The book also includes a chapter by MPIWG predoctoral researcher Yishu Mao: "Artificial Intelligence Governance Made in #China: Negotiating Imaginaries and Power" 🤖

🔗 brill.com/display/book...

#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #SciencePolicy

Graphic book cover in teal and yellow featuring the title "Technology, Power & Society," six tech-related icons, editors’ names (Nguyen, Zeng, Mutsvairo), Brill logo bottom right, and vertical series title on the left.

New edited volume 📘
"Technology, Power & #Society: Critical Perspectives on the Global Digital Transformation," eds Dennis Nguyen, Jing Zeng, & Bruce Mutsvairo.
The book explores digital transformation & society with a focus on underrepresented & understudied contexts.

🔗 bit.ly/3K6HS7m

#HistTech

Researchers during a workshop organized by the Lab.

A research partner shares private documents during an oral history interview. Source: Eddie Bolger (2025).

Photograph of a hand holding the English and German versions of the current Feature Story, captured in the MPIWG's "Laboratory for Multimodal History." Source: Niclas Look (2025).

The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science is excited to announce the launch of its new "Laboratory for #Multimodal History," an inclusive space for audiovisual experimentation and collaborative research headed by Jesse Olszynko-Gryn 🎙

🔗 bit.ly/4pB7tKl

#OralHistory #HistSci #HistMed

For our new #ResearchReels series, we invited scholars across the institute to pitch their recent publications!⚡️
To find more of our #ResearchReels or to learn more about our scholars and the MPIWG, visit our Mediathek:

🔗 www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/mediathek/re...

#HistSci #SciComm

#ResearchReels: 1 publication—3 minutes🏅
Researcher Cameron Brinitzer presents his article "Historicizing the Liberal #Antiracism of Cultural Evolution," published in "History and #Philosophy of the #LifeSciences" 🗺️

🔗 bit.ly/Br-RR3

#HistSci #Anthrosky #ResearchMethods #Racism
@springernature.com

Collage of three images. The first reads: "Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. Career. We're hiring." The second image shows the glass façade of the institute at dawn (setform 2017). The third shows people reading in the institute's library (setform 2017).

🦸 New #StudentJob!
Dept. "Artifacts, Action, Knowledge" seeks a #StudentAssistant with classical #Chinese language skills.
The role focuses on #YuanDynasty textile archeology and involves research and #DigitalHumanities support.

🗓 Deadline: Oct 30, 2025
🔗 bit.ly/4eDRUq4

#HistSci #Archeology #DH

Front cover of the winter semester 2025/26 History of Knowledge course list (KVV)

The Berlin History of Knowledge Course List (KVV) for winter semester 2025/26 is now available online! This list conveniently compiles all history of knowledge and science courses
@humboldtuni.bsky.social, @tuberlin.bsky.social, and @freieuniversitaet.bsky.social.

🔗 bit.ly/438eouS

#HistSci

Job: studentische Assistenz Bewerbungsfrist: 30. September

Das @mpiwg.bsky.social hat einen #Job als studentische Assistenz ausgeschrieben. Es geht um die Organisation und Beschreibung persischer und arabischer Manuskripte zur Geschichte der Astronomie. Bewerbungsschluss ist der 30. September. #Wisskomm www.wissenschaftskommunikation.de/stellenangeb...

📢 We are excited to participate in this year's Berlin Science Week with an exhibition "Cosmic Games: Real Gods Play Dice" and a workshop "Playing with the Past: Reconstructing Ancient Games".

@mpiwg.bsky.social

🔗 www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/cosmic...

🔗 www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/playin...

We’ve just kicked off our workshop “AI-based Methods for the Humanities”. Judging by the happy faces in the group photo below 👇, this is going to be a fascinating exchange of ideas!

www.bifold.berlin/news-events/...

#DH @mpiwg.bsky.social @tuberlin.bsky.social @ecdigitalfuture.bsky.social

📢 A gentle reminder that Prof. Elizabeth Kaske will present her work on "Digital Approaches to a Qing Chinese Boardgame" in the ASTRA colloquium series this morning at 10:00. Still time to tune in via Zoom. See link below.

For our new #ResearchReels series, we invited scholars across the institute to pitch their recent publications!⚡️
To find more of our #ResearchReels or to learn more about our scholars and the MPIWG, visit our Mediathek:

🔗 www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/mediathek/re...

#HistSci #SciComm

#ResearchReels: 1 publication—3 minutes 🏅
Researcher Jonathan Haid on "Raw Materials of Celluloid Film: #WartimeEconomy, Educational Animation, & Film’s Plasticity" 🎥
Jonathan explores how celluloid facilitated #Propaganda film production in interwar Germany.

🔗 bit.ly/Ha-RR2

#HistSci #FilmStudies

📢 : On September 24, 10:00-11:00 CET, Prof. Elizabeth Kaske will present her work on using computational techniques to analyze a 19th-century Chinese board game (Shengguan tu 升官圖) modelling promotion in the bureaucracy of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

@mpiwg.bsky.social

"Using AI to analyze historical organizational structures"— event organized by MPIWG's Matteo Valleriani in collaboration with @bifold.berlin

#HistSci #DigiHum

Rethinking AI for the Humanities Matteo Valleriani and Oliver Eberle are organizing the BIFOLD workshop, "AI-based Methods for the Humanities." In an interview, they discuss the workshop's key aims. They ask what major debate defines...

We sat down for an interview with Prof. Dr. Matteo Valleriani and Dr. Oliver Eberle to reflect on the central debates shaping AI in the humanities.

www.bifold.berlin/news-events/...

@tuberlin.bsky.social @weizenbauminstitut.bsky.social @freieuniversitaet.bsky.social @mpiwg.bsky.social #DH #AI

📢 Our workshop "Games across Asia: The Primary Sources of Play" kicks off this morning with papers on nard, chess, and shaṭranj, the medieval form of chess practiced across the Islamicate world.

🔗 www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/games-...

@mpiwg.bsky.social

#games #histsci #astral

Collage of three images. The first reads: "Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. Career. We're hiring." The second image shows two people reviewing a document. The third image shows people on the institute's courtyard. Second photo by kamboompics.com/Pexels (Canva). Third image by setform 2017.

Our Construction and Technical Services Division is looking for a new team member. 🤝

📋 assist with the coordination of construction meetings
🌐 help develop the team's intranet page
🧯 co-organize fire safety and first aid trainings

🗓️ Open deadline
🔗 bit.ly/4peeKez

#BerlinJobs #TechnicalJobs

Promotional poster for the film The Land Beneath Our Feet, featuring three people looking at a smartphone against a faded map background. Includes event details for a screening and discussion with Gregg Mitman and Britanny Meché on 25 September 2025 in Berlin, hosted by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and Spore Initiative.

📽️ Public movie screening: "The Land Beneath Our Feet," followed by Q&A with director Gregg Mitman & Brittany Meché 💡
Hosted by the Living Knowledge Working Group & Spore Initiative.

🗓️ Sep 25 (18:30–20:30)
📍 Spore Initiative (Hermannstraße 86, 12051 Berlin)
📜 No registration required
🔗 bit.ly/41te76

Portrait of Dyna Rochmyaningsih.

We're excited to welcome our new Journalist in Residence, Dyna Rochmyaningsih!

🌿🌏🗞️ @rochmyaningsih.bsky.social is a freelance journalist based in Indonesia. She will work on her project "Navigating the Truth in The Age of Science Suppression" at the MPIWG.

🔗 bit.ly/41yXarv

#SciComm #EnvHum

Collage of three images. The first reads: "Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. Career. We're hiring." The second image shows a group of people at the institute's courtyard. Photography by MPIWG, 20121. The third shows people reading on the institute's library. Photography by MPIWG, 2012.

New student job opportunity in our International Max Planck Research School "Knowledge and Its Resources: Historical Reciprocities"!

🎤 help organize events
📚 create bibliographies
📢 support public communication
📋 assist with administration

🗓️ Deadline: Oct 5, 2025
🔗 bit.ly/4mCwxu0

#HistSci #STS

Collage of three images. The first reads: "Max Planck Institute for the history of Science. Career. We're hiring." The second image shows researchers looking for books in the institute's library. The third shows people on the institute’s patio. Copyright of the second image: Setform 2017. Copyright of the third image: MPIWG 2021.

We seek to hire a Postdoctoral Scholar for the "Uncovering Traces of Ming Occupations with Sociological Theory" (UTMOST) project.

📚 pursue an independent project
📋 support workshop and conference organization
🤝 engage in Institute life

🗓️ Deadline: Oct 15, 2025
🔗 bit.ly/45V4tev

#HistSci #Sinology

Collage of three images. The first one (left) reads: "Max Planck History of Science—Career: We’re hiring!" The second image (top right) shows the Institutes library with people at the Publications Slam at the institute's library (2024). Photo: Marvin Müller. The third image (bottom right) shows the stylized anatomy of a male human body (left arm and torso) with its proportions. Copyright: DangrafArt (pixabay).

Our department "Artifacts, Action, Knowledge" is hiring a Postdoc for the "Common Knowledge and Its Sources in the Sinosphere" working group! This research role will also involve #DigiHum, #Coordination, #Publishing, and #SciComm.

🗓️ Deadline: Sep 30, 2025
🔗 bit.ly/41oY89

#AcademicJobs #HistSci

Collage of three images. The first reads: "Max Planck Institute for the history of Science. Career. We're hiring." The second image shows a researcher presenting at the March 2025 Publications Slam. The third shows a group of people at the institute's courtyard. Second image by Anna Ruhnow, MPIWG 2025. Third image by MPIWG, 2021.

Department "Knowledge Systems and Collective Life" seeks a Collaborative Research Coordinator!

🤝 Help expand its community-based, publicly engaged research
🎤 Advise researchers on cooperative methods
📋 Coordinate cooperation agreements

🗓️ Deadline: Sep 28, 2025
🔗 bit.ly/45FXu8R

#HistSci #EnvHist

Cover of the book. It shows the title in black letters on the background of a historical map of the world with the Atlantic Ocean at its center. Most of the beige map is covered by six large transparent triangular shapes in red.

New book by alumna Postdoctoral Fellow Edna Bonhomme: "A History of the World in Six Plagues: How Contagion, Class, and Captivity Shaped Us, from Cholera to #COVID19" 🦠

Through case studies, it explores intersections between contagions and systemic inequities.

🔗 bit.ly/45zHqpe

#HistSci #HistMed

Collage of three images. The first reads: "Max Planck Institute for the history of Science. Career. We're hiring." The second image is a screenshot of the "Visualization and material cultures of the heavens image database." The third shows people on the institute’s patio. Copyright for image three: Setform 2017.

Working Group “Heavens in your Hand” seeks a Student Assistant with a focus on historical #Arabic and #Persian manuscripts!

🌌 work with manuscripts connected to the history of astral science
🌐 support development of the "Visualization of the Heavens" database

🔗 bit.ly/39R2z

#HistSci #DigiHum #DH

Ring chart showing the proportional composition of the database’s records Text: "Commoning Biomedicine currently makes fully searchable a total of 1637 records from the following 15 collections.“ The largest proportion comes from the collection "NIH Oral Histories," which makes up approximately one third of all records.

"Commoning Biomedicine: An Open Source Network for Oral Histories Online" receives an Honorable Mention for the 2025 Neu-Whitrow Prize 👏

Awarded at the 27th International Congress of #HistoryOfScience and Technology, it recognizes outstanding and novel research tools.

🔗 bit.ly/n2w7p

#OralHistory

📢 Publication alert!

We are delighted to share the latest publication from ASTRA researchers Jacob Schmidt-Madsen and Anuj Misra.

"A Tree with Many Roots: Introducing the Zysk Collection of Indic Manuscripts", now open access in Manuscript Studies muse.jhu.edu/article/965563

@mpiwg.bsky.social