Becoming Eusapia: The rise of the "Diva of Scientists"

ArgumentEusapia Palladino (1854-1918) is remembered as one of the most famous mediums in the history of spiritualism. Renowned scientists attended her séances in Europe and in the United States. They often had to admit to being unable to understand the origin of the phenomena produced. Cesare Lombroso, for example, after meeting Eusapia, was converted first to mediumism, then spiritualism. This article will retrace the early stages of her career as a medium and shed light on the way she managed to gain the attention of scientists. It will also show why they chose her as an epistemic object

Disembowelled women and skinned men. Female body and male body in anatomical wax figures

Nel 1775, viene inaugurata una mostra di “pezzi anatomici” ossia rappresentazioni plastiche di organi umani, al Museo della Specola di Firenze. La scultura senza dubbio più interessante della raccolta è la “Venere de’ Medici”. Tutti coloro che ammiravano questa opera, né rimanevano sconvolti. La vista di queste cere, è un’iniziazione agli uomini verso il mondo degli adulti. Per quanto riguarda gli “uomini scuoiati” viene rappresentato un “Adamo anatomico”. Le differenze sono evidenti: la donna è passionale, personifica la morbidezza e la sua posizione è supina; l’uomo è atarassico (non mostra sofferenza), la sua posizione è eretta e rimanda alla durezza e alla verticalità.In 1775, an exhibition of “anatomical pieces” begins, namely plastic representations of human organs at the Specola Florence Museum. The most attractive sculpture is, with no doubt, the “Venus de’ Medici”. Everybody who admired this work remained totally amazed. The view of these waxes, leads men to the adult world. As regards “skinned men” (uomini scuoiati), it is represented an “Anatomical Adam” (Adamo anatomico). Differences are obvious: the woman is passionate, soft and her position is supine; the man does not show his pain and his position is upright. It refers to hardness and verticality

DISEMBOWELLED WOMEN AND SKINNED MEN. FEMALE BODY AND MALE BODY IN ANATOMICAL WAX FIGURES

In 1775, an exhibition of "anatomical pieces", that is plastic representations of human organs, was inaugurated at the Museo della Specola in Florence. The most interesting sculpture in the collection is undoubtedly the "Venus de 'Medici". All those who admired this work were not shocked. The sight of these waxes is an initiation of men into the world of adults. As far as the "skinned men" is concerned, an "anatomical Adam" is represented. The differences are evident: the woman is passionate, personifies softness and her position is supine; man is ataraxic (he does not show suffering), his position is erect and refers to hardness and verticality

Le Miracle de l’enquête. Les guérisons inexpliquées à l’épreuve de la médecine.

Laëtitia Ogorzelec-Guinchard, Le Miracle de l’enquête. Les guérisons inexpliquées à l’épreuve de la médecine. Préface de Robert Damien. Paris, Presses universitaires de France, 2014, 248 p., bibl. (« Partage du savoir ») Ce n’est pas à Lourdes que l’histoire retracée par cet ouvrage commence, comme on pourrait l’imaginer, mais à Nouilhan, une bourgade située à une trentaine de kilomètres de ce lieu plus célèbre, connu dans le monde entier pour les apparitions de la Vierge qui s’y sont produit..

In the Footsteps of Galileo

Abstract Italian scientific biopics experienced a period of extraordinary media hype in the 1970s, when some intellectuals personally committed to bringing the lives of the scientists of the past to television in order to discuss the relationship between knowledge and power in the present. Nevertheless, might we properly speak of "Italian-style" historical-scientific fictional drama? To answer this question, we will focus on Roberto Rossellini, Liliana Cavani and, above all, Lucio Lombardo Radice, a promoter, scientific consultant, author and presenter of, and sometimes even actor in, some of the most controversial of these scientific biopics. This article aims, first of all, to reconstruct this history, explaining the reasons for the success of the genre, starting in the 1960s, and the crisis it underwent in the 1980s; secondly, to ascertain the influences these ideological works exerted on choices, approaches and styles of the next generation of science historians and communicators

Il mondo attorno a Cosimo De Giorgi. La scienza nella Puglia della Belle Époque

EnStarting from Cosimo De Giorgi's broad scientific interest, this contribution aims to offer a mapping of belle époque science in Apulia. The purpose is to describe the world that surrounded De Giorgi, a world with which he was in constant and fruitful intellectual interaction. After giving a glance to the most important scientific disciplines developed in Apulia during that period, particular attention is paid to the field of agronomy. This issue is examined through a case study that shows the interactions between De Giorgi and other local agronomists, such as Achille Bruni, who was committed to promote the growth of new crops in the area. In conclusion, it is highlighted how knowledge in transit in Apulia was finally channelled in the foundation of the University of Bari.ItPartendo dal poliedrico interesse scientifico di Cosimo De Giorgi, il presente contributo intende fornire una cartografia della scienza pugliese nella belle époque. L'obiettivo è di osservare il mondo che letteralmente circondava De Giorgi, un mondo con cui il lizzanellese era in costante e proficuo scambio intellettuale. Pur gettando un vasto sguardo alle più importanti discipline scientifiche in piena evoluzione in Puglia, particolare attenzione è riservata all'ambito agronomico, attraverso cui viene approfondito un caso di studio che mostra le interazioni tra De Giorgi e altri agronomi locali come Achille Bruni, intento a promuovere lo sviluppo di nuove culture sul territorio. In conclusione, si evidenzia come i saperi in transizione che animavano la vivacità scientifica dei pugliesi vennero canalizzati nell'istituzione dell'Università di Bari

IL SEMINARIO DI STORIA DELLA SCIENZA DI BARI. CINQUANT'ANNI DI SFIDE (1967-2017)

La storia del Seminario di Storia della Scienz