Visiting researcher: Prof. Piyo Rattansi, University College London

• Grant number: 16/11921-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: August 20, 2016
• End date: September 09, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - History of Science
• Principal Investigator: Ana Maria Alfonso-Goldfarb
• Grantee: Ana Maria Alfonso-Goldfarb
• Visiting researcher: Piyo Rattansi
• Visiting researcher institution: University College London (UCL), England
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Exatas e Tecnologia. Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/14040-9 - Revealing natural processes through the laboratory (Phase II): the search for material principles in the three kingdoms until the specialization of science in the 1800s, AP.TEM

Abstract

The visit of Dr. Piyo Rattansi, Emeritus Professor, Department of Science and Technology Studies (DSTS), UCL, is included in the exchange program established for our Thematic Project "Revealing natural processes through the laboratory (phase 2): the search for the principles of matter in the three kingdoms until the specialization of science in the 1800s" (grant #2011/14040-9 São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP). Intensive collaboration with Prof. Rattansi began in 2000 to gain momentum starting 2005, when thanks to his intermediation the Principal Investigators of the aforementioned Thematic Project were appointed Honorary Research Fellows at DSTS, UCL. In turn, the several visits of Prof. Rattansi to CESIMA (2001, 2004, 2008, 2014) afforded significant occasions to perform joint work, with substantial outcomes relating to the research conducted at our center. As a function of Prof. Rattansi' expertise in 17th-century science, English science in particular, his forthcoming visit will doubtlessly be extremely fruitful in the terms of our ongoing collaboration. More specifically, we intend to focus on a book we are preparing together, based on documents rediscovered by us in English archives. While the main objective of Prof. Rattansi's visit is to collaborate with our Thematic Project, his schedule of activities will be more encompassing, so that CESIMA researchers and associated graduate students can have an opportunity to interact with this internationally reputed scholar. For this purpose, work meetings, seminars and lectures are programed, including Prof. Rattansi's participation as honor speaker at the 5th Allen Debus Biennial Lectures. The scheduled seminars are: 1) Research Seminar "The Fortunae of Paracelsianism and Helmontianism in the late 16th and 17th centuries", for researchers participating in our Thematic Project and guests; 2) Special Seminar "Helmontian Formulae in the Early Royal Society", intended for a wider scholarly audience interested in the history of science, the students at our Graduate Program in particular; and 3) "Recent Newtonian Scholarship, An Overview", one of our traditional Noon Seminars open to the academic community in general. Together with Prof. J. Rampling, from Princeton University, prof. Rattansi will be a honor speaker at the 5th Allen Debus Lectures, devoted to subject "'Newton and the Pipes of Pan' revisited". A second related lecture, entitled "One Newton or several?", will be delivered to other groups of researchers from the state of São Paulo at either Institute of Chemistry or School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo. (AU)