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Scientific Recreation / Recreational Science Conference

15 July 2022–16 July 2022, 9:00 am–4:00 pm

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Exploring the performance of and pleasure taken in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe Scientific Recipes. Two-day conference organized by Vanessa da Silva Baptista and Dr. Eveline Szarka.

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to

All | UCL staff | UCL students | UCL alumni

Availability

Yes

Cost

Free

Organiser

Vanessa da Silva Baptista and Dr. Eveline Szarka

Location

IAS Common Ground
Ground floor, South Wing, Wilkins Building
London
WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom

This two-day conference, funded by the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) at UCL, will exploit the ambiguous meaning of the term “recreation” to bring together two important but disparate themes in the current scholarship of medieval and early modern recipe literature: the experimental turn centred the reproduction of scientific, craft, and household recipes, and studies highlighting how the playfulness of scientific activities contributed to contemporary scientific developments.

Science is often associated with professionalism and seriousness. It is frequently forgotten that many scholars and non-scholars alike carry out playful science experiments as a form of recreation or entertainment. This was especially true for the late medieval and early modern period, when people from different backgrounds engaged in playful experiments, for example to produce astonishing magic tricks, invisible inks, or unusual hair dyes.

This conference will provide a unique opportunity to bring together scholars and practitioners from different disciplines such as history, chemistry, and physics to discuss the significance of fun and enjoyment in science.

Click here for the full conference programme.

All welcome. Please follow this FAQ link for more information. All our events are free but you can support the IAS here.