Popularizing Science and Technology in the European Periphery, 1800-2000

ThevastmajorityofEuropeancountrieshaveneverhadaNewton,PasteurorEinstein.Thereforeahistoricalanalysisoftheirscientificculturemustbemorethanthesearchforgreatluminaries.StudiesofthewaysscienceandtechnologywerecommunicatedtothepublicincountriesoftheEuropeanperipherycanprovideavaluableinsightintothemechanismsoftheappropriationofscientificideasandtechnologicalpracticesacrossthecontinent.ThecontributorstothisvolumeeachtakeastheirfocusthepopularizationofscienceincountriesonthemarginsofEurope,whointhenineteenthandtwentiethcenturiesmaybeperceivedtohavehadaweakscientificculture.Avarietyofscientificgenresandforumsforpresentingscienceinthepublicsphereareanalysed,includingbotanyandwomen,teachingandpopularizingphysicsandthermodynamics,scientifictheatres,nationalandinternationalexhibitions,botanicalandzoologicalgardens,popularencyclopaedias,popularmedicineandastronomy,andgeneticsinthepress.Eachtopicissituatedfirmlyinitshistoricalandgeographicalcontext,withlocalstudiesofdevelopmentsinSpain,Portugal,Hungary,Denmark,BelgiumandSweden.PopularizingScienceandTechnologyintheEuropeanPeripheryprovidesuswithafascinatinginsightintothehistoryofscienceinthepublicsphereandwillcontributetoabetterunderstandingofthecirculationofscientificknowledge.