Bernard Lightman

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Bernard Lightman
Bernie Lightman.jpg
Born (1950-04-30) April 30, 1950 (age 75)
Alma mater Brandeis University
Known for The John Tyndall Correspondence Project, Isis (journal), President of the History of Science Society (2018–2019)
Awards
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions York University

Bernard Vise Lightman, FRSC (born April 30, 1950) is a Canadian historian of science, and professor of humanities and science and technology studies at York University, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He specializes in the relationship between Victorian era science and religious unbelief, the role of women in science, and the popularization of science.

Contents

Lightman is known for his work as the editor-in-chief of the journal Isis (2004–2014) as well as his role in The John Tyndall Correspondence Project, an effort to make available the life and letters of the nineteenth-century scientist John Tyndall. [1] [2] In 2011, Lightman was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada [3] and in 2010, he was elected a Corresponding Member of the International Academy of the History of Science. [4] Lightman served as president of the History of Science Society 2018–2019. [5]

Life and works

Lightman began his career studying Victorian agnosticism amongst prominent scientific naturalists, including such figures as Thomas Henry Huxley and John Tyndall, producing the book The Origins of Agnosticism: Victorian Unbelief and the Limits of Knowledge published in 1987. The focus of this work was on the ways in which early agnostics did not simply see their agnosticism as a mask for atheism, but instead arrived at agnosticism via a questionable understanding of the philosophy of knowledge of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, as that philosophy was introduced into Britain by Henry Longueville Mansel. [6] [7] [8]

Since 1989, Lightman's work has largely focused on the popularization of science and particularly on the role that Victorian non-professional periodicals and print culture played in shaping the form of scientific debates in the public arena. [9] [10] [11] Lightman has authored, co-authored, and edited several books, and has published more than 44 refereed articles and book chapters. [12] In addition, he is the series editor of a book series titled "Science and Culture in the Nineteenth Century" including over 40 books as of 2024, published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. [13] Lightman was editor-in-chief of the journal Isis from 2004-2014 and served as president of the History of Science Society 2018–2019. [5]

The John Tyndall Correspondence Project, which is an international collaborative effort to obtain, digitalize, transcribe, and publish all surviving letters to and from John Tyndall, was initiated by Lightman [14] and funded by the National Science Foundation in 2009. [1] Lightman worked on a biography of John Tyndall and served as a general editor on the project. [15]

In 1998, Lightman was awarded a John Templeton Foundation funded Science-Religion Course Program Award for the course "Science and Religion In Modern Western Thought" by the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences. [16] On December 4, 2010, he was elected a Corresponding Member of the International Academy of the History of Science, [4] and on November 26, 2011, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. [3]

At York University, Lightman has been appointed to a number of administrative positions over the years, including associate dean of arts, acting director of academic staff relation, coordinator of the interdisciplinary program science and society, and director of the graduate program in humanities. [17]

Selected works

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 "The History of Science Society | Newsletter". Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  2. "The John Tyndall Correspondence Project". Archived from the original on 2014-02-19. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
  3. 1 2 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-26. Retrieved 2012-01-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. 1 2 "Bernard Lightman | International Academy of the History of Science".
  5. 1 2 "Past Presidents". History of Science Society. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  6. Moore, James R. (September 1988). "Reviewed Work: The Origins of Agnosticism: Victorian Unbelief and the Limits of Knowledge by Bernard Lightman". Isis. 79 (3): 510–511. JSTOR   234702.
  7. Dockrill, D. W. (Winter 1988). "Reviewed Work: The Origins of Agnosticism: Victorian Unbelief and the Limits of Knowledge by Bernard Lightman" . Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 20 (4): 648–651. doi:10.2307/4050225. JSTOR   4050225.
  8. Brent, Richard (June 1990). "Reviewed Work: The Origins of Agnosticism: Victorian Unbelief and the Limits of Knowledge by Bernard Lightman". The Journal of Modern History. 62 (2): 373–374. JSTOR   1881268.
  9. Pratt-Smith, Stella. "Review: Victorian Popularizers of Science by Bernard Lightman". The British Society for Literature and Science.
  10. Ferguson, Christine (Fall 2010). "Reviewed Works: Victorian Popularizers of Science: Designing Nature for New Audiences by Bernard Lightman; Science in the Marketplace: Nineteenth-Century Sites and Experiences by Aileen Fyfe, Bernard Lightman". Victorian Review. 36 (2): 133–136. JSTOR   41413858.
  11. Barton, Ruth (2008). "Reviewed Work: Victorian Popularizers of Science: Designing Nature for New Audiences by Bernard Lightman". The British Journal for the History of Science. 41 (4): 616–617. JSTOR   30165762.
  12. "Bernard Lightman | Department of Humanities | Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies | York University".
  13. "Science and Culture in the Nineteenth Century". University of Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  14. "Project History". The John Tyndall Correspondence Project. Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-02-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "Course Award Winners 1995–2002". Graduate Theological Union Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences. 2019-03-13. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  17. "Dalhousie University – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada".