Event: Jun 7-9,2023 - Historical Epistemologies of Planetary Modelling

Talk by Prof. Dr. Orit Halpern:

09. Jun/ 10:00 - 12:00 / Planetary Intelligence

This event brings together historians of science, technology, and the environment for a discussion-oriented workshop focusing on the historical epistemology of planetary modelling. The aim is to interrogate how data and modelling came to dominate the understanding of the planetary crisis as well as to think critically about how power relations affect knowledge production about global environmental change. The workshop will explore the integrative potentials as well as the epistemic frictions between Earth system science and historical and archaeological complexity of the Anthropocene. At present, in spite of ever-increasing amounts of environmental data and improved modelling capabilities, agreed targets like the 1.5 C degree goal are declared dead halfway through the path to Agenda 2030. Why do ever-more detailed simulations and rich data not lead to better policy and a stronger societal response to modelled testimonies? How can historical understanding better inform the epistemology of Earth system science? And how can knowledge from Earth system science be better integrated into Anthropocene history? (reposted from Max-Planck Institute for the History of Science.)

For detailed information of this event: HEPM

Programme: 

June 7, 16.00–18.00 – Introductory event at the Spore Initiative, Hermannstraße 86, 12051 Berlin

June 8, 9:30 - 19:00 - Session 1: Planetary control/ S2: From concrete to digital/ S3:Target Systems

June 9, 9:30 - 17:30 - Session 1: Whose Models? - Orit Halpern - Planetary Intelligence / S2: Energy and Information./ S3: Deriving planetary data