ishpssb fall 2011 newsletter · 2019-03-22 · evolutionary biology: the modern synthesis...
TRANSCRIPT
I S H P S S B
http://www.ishsspb.org 1
IISSHHPPSSSSBBInternational Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology
Biannual Newsletter Volume 24, Number 1, Issue 44, Fall 2012 (published November 2012)President’sNotePage 1
Update: 2013ISHPSSBPage 1
Call for
papersISHPSSB2013Page 2
ISHPSSB2012 Off-YearWorkshop
Page 4
Call forproposals tohost the 2015and 2017meetingsPage 5
Call forsubmissionsfor 2013MarjorieGrene PrizePage 6
Suggested
new ISHPSSBlogo designsPage 7
The BackPageContactListserv
MembershipPage 8
President’s NoteFirst, my apologies for the factthat no Spring newsletter wasissued this year. Thiscombined Spring/Fallnewsletter contains theinformation that would usuallyappear in both issues. Despitethis unwonted silence, therehas been plenty of activity in2012. Those who have visitedthe website recently will haveseen that the content has beenplaced in a new, more up-to-date design. Thanks are due toour webmaster, CarlosMariscal. The PublicationsCommittee are activelyexploring a new logo for thesociety. Some suggestions arereproduced below, and weinvite feedback to the chair ofthe Publications Committee.A successful off-year workshopwas organized by a group ofstudents from the Center forBiology and Society at Arizona
State University and theInstitute for Systems Biology,Seattle, WA. You can readabout the event below.Preparations for the 2013meeting have also goneforward, with a lot of workbehind the scenes by the localorganizing committee andprogram committee. The callfor papers can be seen on theconference website, whoseURL in the conference updatebelow.This month sees the HSS/PSAmeetings in San Diego, atwhich Michael Ruse willlaunch his Cambridge
Encyclopedia of Darwin and
Evolutionary Thought andcelebrate the ongoingpublication of the CambridgeIntroductions to thePhilosophy of Biology. Michaeland CUP have made anextraordinary contribution topublishing work of interest to
members of our society overthe past seventeen years. Thesixty-nine volumes ofCambridge Studies inPhilosophy and Biology havemaintained a consistently highstandard, and made a veryconsiderable contribution toour community: well worthcelebrating.Paul Griffiths
Update: 2013 ISHPSSBBiennial Meeting,MontpellierPlanning is well advanced forthe 2013 meeting. Themeeting venue has beenrelocated from the CentreSaint-Charles to the Supagroschool, which is a moderncampus with all facilities forconferences, and includes astudent residence with 200rooms, providing rooms at a22€/night cost, so that theexpected minimal cost per day
I S H P S S B
2 ISHPSSB Fall 2012 Newsletter
of accommodation & food willbe around 50€. Montpellierbeing a city of Universities,two other equivalent studentresidencies are availablearound, able to host all ourattendees. Nice hotels with awide range of prices are to befound in the city center (withnegotiated discounts), which issituated 20 minutes walk fromthe campus.A conference website has beencreated athttp://www.ishpssb2013.org/and is steadily beingpopulated with information.The updated venueinformation will appear on thesite very soon.The call for papers can beviewed at:http://ishpssb2013.sciencesconf.org/. The deadline forsubmissions is 28th February2013.Organising Committee
Jean Gayon (IHPST/Paris I).Chair.
Philippe Huneman (IHPST,Paris). Co-chair.
Paul Luu (AgropolisInternational)
Pascal Nouvel (UniversitéMontpellier III)
Brigitte Cabantous (AgropolisInternational)
Bernard Hubert (AgropolisInternational)
Finn Kjellberg (Cefe,Montpellier)
Annick Lesne (IHES, Orsay)Virginie Maris (Cefe,
Montpellier)Francesca Merlin (IHPST,
Paris)Michel Morange (ENS/IHPST,
Paris)François Munoz (UM2, Cirad,
Montpelier)Antonine Nicoglou (IHPST,
Paris)Thomas Pradeu (Paris
Sorbonne/IHPST)Vincent de Victor (Isem UM2,
Montpellier)Call for papersISHPSSB 2013July 712, Montpellier, France
The meeting will take placefrom Sunday July 7th, 4pm toFriday July 12th, 12:30am.As Montpellier has a richhistory – it was one of theearliest medical universities inEurope – and has developed avery active research in ecologyand biodiversity, we haveincluded in the scientificprogram the three followingplenary lectures:Sunday 7th, 5pm: Maaike van der
Lugt (University of Paris DenisDiderot) will describe the roleof universities such asMontpellier in thedevelopment of sciences in theMiddle Ages.
Tuesday 9th, 4:30-6:30 pm:Isabelle Olivieri (University ofMontpellier) and MichelLoreau (CNRS, Moulis) willtalk about biodiversity and itsmanagement.
Calendar:
Submission deadline: February28th, 2013
Notification from the ProgramCommittee: March 31st, 2013
Six possible types of
submissions
Please read carefully thefollowing lines before decidingto choose one or the otheroption. Four of them existed inprevious ISH meetings, andtwo (options 2 and 6) are new.Option 1: Traditional session:
Each participant in a thematicsession must submit her/hisown abstract.In addition, the organizer ofthe session (usually one of theparticipants in the session)must fill in the “Traditionalsession” form online.Maximum length for eachabstract: 250 words.Total duration of a traditionalsession: 90 minutes.Option 2: Interdisciplinary
session:
We encourage the constitutionof interdisciplinary sessions.The procedure for submissionis the same as for Option 1.These sessions mustcorrespond to a trueinterdisciplinary content,which will be underlined bythe presence of twochairpersons, coming fromdifferent disciplines, anddistinct from the lecturers,and the selection of twodifferent themes in the listbelow.Each participant in aninterdisciplinary session must
I S H P S S B
http://www.ishpssb.org 3
submit her/his own abstract.In addition, the organizer ofthe session (usually one of theparticipants in the session)must fill in the“Interdisciplinary session”form online.Maximum length for eachabstract: 250 words.Total duration of aninterdisciplinary session: 90minutes.Option 3: Poster:
You submit an individualabstract for a poster sessionthat will take place on Monday8, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.The ISHPSSB recommendsthis option that permits richdiscussions.Maximum length for a posterabstract: 250 words.Option 4: Individual paper:
You submit an individualabstract for an oralpresentation. The programcommittee will put individualpapers together in order toconstitute sessions of three orfour participants, afterconsulting them. There will bea clear distinction between theself-organized sessions, andthese “externally-organized”sessions. The spirit of ISH tellsus that the result of self-organization is alwayssuperior to the result of anorganizational processconstrained from outside.The total duration for eachsession will be 90 minutes.
Maximum length for paperabstract: 250 words.In the "Comments" sectiononline, you will have toindicate one theme for yourpaper, chosen in the list below.This will help us to gatherindividual papers intosessions.Option 5: Round Table:
You can also submit a proposalfor a round table. Thesubmission is made by theorganizer (and not by eachparticipant). The organizer ofthe round table must providethe title of the round table andan abstract. In addition, she orhe must fill in the “RoundTable” form online.Maximum length for theabstract of a round table: 250words.Total duration of a roundtable: 90 minutes.We have already preselected acertain number of issues andspeakers for round tables, onthemes that seemed to us toparticularly deserve adiscussion (see below). But weexpect from you other, newand unexpected propositions!Option 6: Dialogue:
Finally, we have decided tocreate a new type of sessions,named “Dialogue.” Twospeakers, having previouslywritten or lectured on thesame issue, but havingreached different conclusions,will each be assigned 25minutes to present their ideas.They will debate for 10
minutes, and discuss with theaudience for 30 minutes (for atotal duration of 90 minutes).We encourage the participantsin a Dialogue to choose a“strong” moderator as achairperson.A Dialogue should besubmitted by the organizer(who may but need not be oneof the participants, and cannotbe themoderator/chairperson). Theorganizer must give a title andan abstract. In addition, she orhe must fill in the “Dialogue”form online.Maximum length for theabstract of a dialogue: 250words.Total duration of a dialogue:90 minutes.We have already contactedsome people for theseDialogues, to provide someexamples of what we expect(see below). All additionalpropositions are welcome. Anorder of magnitude for thetotal number of thesedialogues would be about 10,though this number isobviously flexible.Rules
We have fixed quite rigid rulesto avoid that some peopleparticipate in too manysessions. Thus, eachparticipant has two tokens:One allows her or him to give a
talk in a session, or toparticipate in a Dialogue, or topresent a poster.
The second token allows her orhim to participate in a Round
I S H P S S B
4 ISHPSSB Fall 2012 Newsletter
Table, or to be a chairperson,or to be a respondent or acommentator or to be themoderator of a Dialogue.
No additional tokens will beprovided!
(Thus, for example, a sameperson can give a talk in asession and participate in aRound Table, but cannot inaddition chair a session.)Submission
Please go to the ISHPSSB2013 website:http://www.ishpssb2013.organd follow the instructions. Asyou will see, it is necessary tocreate an account beforesubmitting.If you need furtherinformation, do not hesitate tocontact Thomas Pradeu andMichel Morange, co-chairs ofthe program committee:[email protected] forward to seeing youall in Montpellier,The Program Committee.
List of themes
AnthropologyCellular and Molecular Biology:
Historical and PhilosophicalApproaches
Development and Evo-devoEthical and bioethical issuesEvolutionary Biology: Origin, and
early developmentsEvolutionary Biology: The
Modern SynthesisEvolutionary Biology: The recent
challengesEvolutionary Biology: Theoretical
and conceptual issues (e.g.definition of Darwinianprocesses, levels of selection,etc.)
Evolutionary Biology:Cooperation, altruism,evolution and economy
Evolutionary PsychologyFunctions and MechanismsGender StudiesHistorical, philosophical and
sociological perspectives on:EcologyEpigeneticsOrigins of life, minimal life
History of GeneticsNeurosciences and cognitive
sciences: scientific, social, andphilosophical issues
The “organism” problemPublic Health issues, and their
social dimensionsReductionism, antireductionism,
emergenceThe “species” problemSystematics and classificationSystems Biology, Synthetic
Biology and GenomicsTeaching BiologyOthersDialogues: early propositions
with provisional titles:
William Bechtel & Carl Craver:On the explanatory role ofmathematical models inbiology
Garland Allen & Bruno Strasser:Experimentalism and naturalhistory in 20th century biology
Round Tables: early
propositions with provisional
titles:
Organizer: Sabina Leonelli(University of Exeter)Title: Plant science: its place inbiology
Organizer: Edna Suarez(University of Mexico)Title: New sources in thehistoriography of science: post-colonial and cultural studies
Organizer: Elliott SoberTitle: About his recent book,Did Darwin write the Originbackwards? (2011)
Organizer: Manfred Laubichler(Arizona State University)Title: American and Europeanperspectives on the relationsbetween History andPhilosophy of science
ISHPSSB 2012 Off-YearWorkshop: What’s Newabout Systems Biology?On August 16 - 17, aninternational group ofscientists and historians andphilosophers of sciencegathered at the Institute forSystems Biology, in Seattle,Washington, for the 2012 off-year workshop of theInternational Society for theHistory, Philosophy, and SocialStudies of Biology, titled,“What’s New about SystemsBiology?” The workshop,organized by a joint committeeof graduate students and post-docs from Arizona StateUniversity’s Center for Biologyand Society and the Institutefor Systems Biology, addressedimportant but highly contestedhistorical and philosophicalissues surrounding the field ofsystems biology.
I S H P S S B
http://www.ishpssb.org 5
Over the course of the two-dayworkshop, four sessionscovered issues ranging fromthe methodologicalfoundations of systems biologyto its historical roots andprecursors. Presentationsfrom both scientists and HPSscholars brought to light thediversity of opinionssurrounding the origins of thefield, and what it means topractice systems biology. Forexample, in the openingsession, titled, “What’s Newabout Systems Biology?”,three presentations coveredtopics as diverse as the latestwork on post-translationalregulation, the differencesbetween the systems andmolecular approaches to celldivision, and finally theanticipation of current systemsthinking in the work of late-19th century biologist,Theodor Boveri. Thecompelling, yet diverse viewsof these participantsgenerated spirited discussionsamong the audience about thenature of current systemsbiology and its “newness.”Everyone, however, agreedthat investigating thesethemes through thealternative perspectivesrepresented at the workshopwas beneficial to all.The first session set anexploratory tone that wasmaintained throughout theworkshop. As participants gotto know each other indiscussion sections, coffeebreaks, lunches, and a tour ofthe Institute for SystemsBiology in which some
witnessed for the first time themachinery driving the scienceof systems biology, disciplinaryboundaries quickly faded intoa general excitement aboutthe possibilities thatapproaching science from somany different perspectivescould generate. As oneparticipant noted, “It wasgreat to be in a room withpeople that thought criticallyabout the science they aredoing and how it is changing(or the same) and how we canapply technology, tools, etc. ina more informative way. It wasnice to think about sciencedifferently instead of having tojust meet deadlines or get aresult.”With a participant listnumbering over 60, includinga substantial number fromSeattle-area systems biologyand biomedical researchgroups, this ISHPSSB Off-YearWorkshop was a greatreminder that when scientists,philosophers, historians, andsocial studies scholars ofscience get together, everyonebenefits. Or, as one participantreflected, “One conversation Iremember distinctly, remindedme that even in my own areaof expertise there is still muchI do not know. Sometimes it isgood to be reminded of this.”Kate MacCord and Lijing
Jiang
Call for proposals to hostthe 2015 and 2017meetingsWhile our French colleagues
are working hard to ensure asuccessful meeting inMontpellier in July 2013, theSite Selection Committeecordially invites ISHPSSBmembers elsewhere topropose potential sites for theJuly 2015 and — why not? —July 2017 Society meetings.Following our tradition ofalternating betweencontinents, the 2015 meetingshould normally be held inNorth America — Canada,Mexico, or the US. Proposersshould bear in mind that theSociety prefers to meet inplaces that are not onlyattractive (for manyparticipants, the meeting is awelcome occasion to combinework with some well-deservedholidays), but offer convenientconference infrastructure andaffordable housing. Moredetailed hosting guidelines areavailable [email protected] is, of course, impossible atthis time to anticipate therepercussions the currenteconomic crisis in Europe andelsewhere will have onmembers’ mobility in the yearsto come, but we will certainlytake this issue into accountwhen preparing our proposalfor 2015 to the Members’Meeting in Montpellier.Independently of this, weencourage proposals to hostthe 2017 meeting from all overthe world but especially fromSouth America, where veryexciting things are going on inHPSSB right now.
I S H P S S B
6 ISHPSSB Fall 2012 Newsletter
Another issue we would like tocall your attention to isoverlap with other meetings (ifyou are aware of such, pleaselet me know) and, on thepositive side, the possibility ofhaving our meeting precede orfollow another major eventattended by a significantnumber of ISH members. Weare somewhat flexible as far asdates are concerned.As a former host, I can assurepotential candidates thathosting a meeting the size ofISH is not only a lot of work,but also a uniquely rewardingexperience for the hostingteam!Werner Callebaut (on behalf of
the Site Selection Committee)
Call for submissions for2013 Marjorie GrenePrizeISHPSSB seeks submissionsfor the 2013 Marjorie GrenePrize. This prize is intended to
advance the careers ofyounger scholars, and will beawarded to the bestmanuscript based on apresentation at one of the twoprevious ISHPSSB meetings(Brisbane 2009 or Salt LakeCity 2011) by someone whowas, at the time ofpresentation, a graduatestudent.It is very appropriate forISHPSSB to name this prize inMarjorie Grene's honor. Notonly did her work in thehistory and philosophy ofbiology exemplify the strongspirit of interdisciplinary workfundamental to ISHPSSB, butshe also played a central rolein bringing together diversescholars of biology even beforethe formation of the Society.She was a valued mentor tomany members of the Societyand a long-standinginspiration to all.The award will consist of acertificate and an award of
$500.Submissions should be in theform of a paper prepared forsubmission to a professionaljournal, with an indication ofthe journal in question andwhether the paper is alreadyin review. Submissions can bein the form of papers alreadyaccepted for publication. Electronic submissions, inMicrosoft Word or PDF format,are preferred and must beemailed no later than March 1,2013. Hardcopy submissionsmust include three completecopies of the paper and bemailed no later than March 1,2013.The winning entry will beannounced by May 1, 2013.Please submit papers toGreg Radick,[email protected] of Philosophy, Religionand History of ScienceUniversity of Leeds
Figure 1: «The goal was a logo that includes the full acronym, but also uses text as a visual element in a way
that makes some references to biology. In this case the form "S"s make is evocative of DNA certainly, but also
other biological factors such as linkage, change, and cyclicality.» Andrew Yang
I S H P S S B
http://www.ishpssb.org 7
Leeds LS2 9JT, UKSuggested new ISHPSSBlogo designsAndrew Yang (Figure 1) haskindly produced somesuggestions for a newISHPSSB logo. Members areinvited to provide feedback(and other suggestions).Please contact the chair of thepublications committee,Manfred Laublicher:[email protected].
I S H P S S B
8 ISHPSSB Fall 2012 Newsletter
Paul Griffiths,PresidentUniversity of [email protected]
Anya Plutynski, SecretaryUniversity of [email protected]
Lisa Gannett, TreasurerDalhousie [email protected]
Werner Callebaut, President ElectKonrad Lorenz [email protected]
Michel Morange, Program [email protected]
Thomas Pradeu, Program [email protected]
Ana Rosa Barahona Echeverria, [email protected]
Jean Gayon, Local Organisation [email protected]
Philippe Huneman, LocalOrganisation [email protected]
Emily Parke, Student RepresentativeUniversity of [email protected]
Jessica Bolker, Council MemberUniversity of New [email protected]
Giuseppe Testa, Council [email protected]
Emily Schulz, Council MemberCloud State [email protected]
Gregory Radick, Council MemberUniversity of [email protected]
Manfred Laubichler, Council [email protected]
Akihisa Setoguchi, Council MemberOsaka City [email protected]
Are you subscribed to the ISHPSSB Listserv <ISHPSB-L> ?If not, you may have missed information posted for members which became outdated by the time thisNewsletter went to print. Subscribe online by following these instructionsSend an email message to:[email protected] the following in the body of the message:SUBSCRIBE ISHPSB-L Yourfirstname YourlastnameCheck for updates online: http://www.ishpssb.orgHave you renewed your membership?ISHPSSB members typically renew their memberships when they register for the biennial meeting. Thosewho do not attend a meeting sometimes fail to renew. To renew your membership, go to:http://ishpssb.onefireplace.com.If you experience any difficulties, please contact Anya Plutynski at [email protected] a benefit, members receive a variety of journals at reduced rate, including ISIS and JHB.If your membership has expired some time ago (approximately 6 months), you may be put in the “archives”of the membership database. In order to be removed from the archive, you must contact Anya Plutynski [email protected]
Contact*
Credits
This newsletter was edited by Anya Plutynski, Paul Griffiths, and David Suárez.
*For affiliations and full contact information, please visit the website