Mapping the Teaching of History of Chemistry in Europe
Recent developments in the field of history of chemistry have introduced new topics, challenges, and connections to a broad range of scientific, political, cultural, economic, and environmental issues. New audiences for the history of chemistry have emerged along with new topics, protagonists, spaces, and historical narratives. This paper summarizes the main results of a recent survey to map the current situation of the teaching of history of chemistry in Europe. We review how and where history of chemistry is taught in Europe, considering not only graduate students in science programs, but also other audiences such as science teachers, and the general public. This paper also provides updat…
Poisoned Wine: Regulation, Chemical Analyses, and Spanish-French Trade in the 1930s
This paper describes the resources, scientific spaces, and experts involved in the study of a mass poisoning caused by the drinking of arsenic-contaminated wine exported from Spain to France in 1932. Local and international periodicals record the poisoning of 300 French sailors, and stressed the commercial implications of the case. We discuss the reports prepared by different experts (mainly physicians, agricultural engineers, and customs chemists). Their work was not limited to preparing technical publications or chemical analyses; they also actively defended the quality of their local wine, and played a major role in the discussions regarding the regulation of the international wine marke…
El cometa de Halley y la imagen pública de la astronomía en la prensa diaria española de principios del siglo XX
Este texto pretende mostrar algunos aspectos de las representaciones formadas en la opinión pública española acerca de la astronomía y la astrofísica, a partir del análisis de las noticias publicadas en algunas de las cabeceras más destacadas con motivo de la aparición del cometa de Halley en 1910. El interés despertado por la llegada de este cometa estuvo íntimamente ligado a su asociación con diferentes desastres y calamidades, representado en este caso por el equipaje de gases mortíferos que portaba y que desató una inquietud generalizada entre una parte importante de la población. Esta preocupación sirvió para reforzar y legitimar frente a la opinión pública la actividad desarrollada po…