"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" -- George Santayana. Lots of stories, events and controversies in science today are reflections of similar events that happened years, decades or even centuries earlier! This session is proposed as a general discussion of how the stories of the past can be used to shed light and understanding on current controversies in science. Perhaps we can learn new ways forward in social and political problems related to science by looking back on the past? And even if the past may not break us loose from the chains of the present, this session will look at whether history -- in either its contents or its methods -- offers tools the science journalist can use in the construction of compelling stories of inquiry in the here and now.
Questions:
1. What sort of controversies have appeared time and time again in the scientific community?
2. Which historical scientific controversies hold lessons for us in the present?
3. What kinds of histories can/should a science journalist try to use?
4. Why does the audience care about/value history anyway?