History of Science in Part II Chemistry and Biochemistry

Supervision in 2013-14

The history of science is a long-established and very active discipline in Oxford, and the writing of a Part II thesis in the subject is a popular choice for both chemists and biochemists. Although the theses for which we can provide supervision are historical, they are required to have a strong chemical or biochemical content. This means that most topics are oriented towards the modern period, where a knowledge of present-day science can be used to greatest effect. However, if you are interested in an earlier period, please do not hesitate to explore your ideas with us; it is conceivable, though less likely, that a suitable subject can be found.

The choice of a subject

The range of topics for which supervisors are available is wide, and we can usually tailor a thesis to your interests and background. If you read a foreign language, for example, you may wish to develop your linguistic skill by working on, say, a French or German subject. Or you may have interests that would point to your working on the history of a process or on the technological strategy of a company or an industrial sector. A very different possibility is a topic in the history of scientific instruments, for which the collections of the Museum of the History of Science would be especially relevant. The history of chemistry in Oxford is another field with good local sources that remain largely unexploited. To give you a more specific idea of the subjects that might be chosen, the following Part II theses are among those that have been written recently:

• The chemistry and structure of ferrous metals, in relation to the study of early swords and cutlery
• The diaries of John Ward and the chemical community of Oxford, 1650-80
• Chemistry during the French Revolution: Lavoisier and his pupils
• Paints, pigments, and protective coatings: a scientific history of the manufacture and application of paints, 1800-1950
• The chrysotype: an investigation into a nineteenth-century photographic process
• The production of explosives and nitrogenous fertilizers in Germany during the first world war
• Atmospheric ozone chemistry in the twentieth century: techniques of measurement and their relations to meteoric activity
• N. V. Sidgwick and his role in the development of the electronic theory of valency
• Aspects of the chemical work of Linus Pauling
• The history of the production of titanium dioxide in the Tioxide Company.

For further Part II possibilities try: http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/hsmt/courses_reading/chemistry/theses.htm

Your own background

You should not worry too much about your background in the subject. An interest in the past and in trying your hand at book-based and document-based research are far more important than whether or not you read for the Supplementary Subject in History and Philosophy of Science in your second year. Some of our best theses have been written by candidates with no significant background in the history of science or any other branch of history.

Facilities

The facilities for research in the history of science at Oxford are excellent. The holdings of printed sources in the Bodleian and Radcliffe Science Libraries are among the richest in the world, and there is strong support in the libraries of the Modern History Faculty and the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine and in the library and collections of the Museum of the History of Science as well as in some of the bigger college libraries.

We have over forty graduate students working in the history of science, medicine, and technology. The community is a friendly and lively one, and discussion groups and informal meetings supplement the programme of lectures and seminars. If your research has a medical dimension, the Wellcome Unit in Banbury Road will provide a natural working place and meeting point. For students in the history of science and technology, the Modern History Faculty building in Broad Street houses a seminar room and small specialist library. The History Faculty Library in Broad Street hosts a useful section devoted to the history of science and a common room to which our Part II chemists and biochemists have access.

Preliminary discussion

It is important to discuss your plans with someone in the history of science group as early as possible. A second preliminary meeting for candidates interested in writing Part II theses in 2013-14 will be held on (Monday, 12 November 2012) in the Office of the Professor of the History of Science, History Faculty, George Street. Dr. Allan Chapman as well as colleagues interested in the history of chemistry will be in the room to talk to chemists currently in their third year from 2.00pm to 3.00pm. If you are interested, try to come along at that time: just ask Reception for directions to the room, or dial the Professor’s direct line on the interphone situated on the rear door to the History Faculty.

If 26th October is impossible for you, it may be possible to arrange an alternative time by writing to Prof. P. Corsi (pietro.corsi@history.ox.ac.uk)

Professor P. Corsi
Professor of the History of Science
History Faculty
The Old Boys’ High School
George Street
Oxford OX1 2RL
Telephone: [6]15036; Secretary, [2] 74600

Please note: access to the building is through the rear door. From George Street, coming from Broad Street, turn left into New Inn Hall Street, and go through the small green metal gate on the right. Push hard if it looks closed!