E-Newsletter: February 2019
The Science History Institute preserves and celebrates
our scientific and technological culture and makes it accessible
for investigation and knowledge creation.
New and Noteworthy
Science History Institute Museum
We are still basking in the glow of being included on Condé Nast Traveler ’s list of the “11 Best Museums in Philadelphia.” The prestigious travel magazine loves our “fascinating collection of science history–driven anecdotes,” calling the Institute “an intimate museum that puts the ‘cool’ in chemistry.” Featured at number 3 alongside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Mütter Museum, and the Rosenbach, our museum “pays homage to the actual practice of science and its life-changing discoveries,” offering visitors a look into such “everyday mysteries” as how crayons get their colors and how plastics are made.

The Science History Institute was also recently featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer ’s “Spring Arts Preview” showcasing our new Object Explorer ,
part of the museum’s permanent exhibition.

📷 J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia.
Mendeleev's 3D Periodic Table
The Science History Institute joins UNESCO in celebrating 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table ( IYPT2019 ), marking the 150th anniversary of one of the most significant achievements in science—the publication of the definitive periodic table by Russian chemist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev (1834–1907). IYPT2019 provides an ideal opportunity for the Institute to showcase our collections , programs and events , and research activities , and to engage in a global conversation about the importance of science. Visit sciencehistory.org/IYPT2019 for more information.

📷 Three-dimensional wooden model of Mendeleev’s periodic table built by chemist Edward G. Mazurs, ca. 1974. Science History Institute.
Pittcon Hall of Fame wall
If you’re a fan of scientific instrumentation and you’ll be in Philadelphia March 17 to 21, then have we got the event for you— Pittcon 2019 . An affiliated organization of the Science History Institute, Pittcon is the world’s leading annual conference and exposition on laboratory science. The Institute works closely with Pittcon each year to preserve and honor the history of scientific instrumentation in two different ways: with the Pittcon Heritage Award and the Pittcon Hall of Fame.
Walter Supina and Nicholas Pelick
First presented in 2002, the Pittcon Heritage Award honors those visionaries whose entrepreneurial careers shaped the instrumentation and laboratory supplies industry and transformed the scientific community at large. This year we are proud to posthumously honor Walter Supina (left) and Nicholas Pelick (right), founders of Supelco (now a part of MilleporeSigma), which provided scientists and technologists with the tools needed for discovery for more than 50 years.

As Heritage Award winners, Supina and Pelick will also be inducted into the Pittcon Hall of Fame, joining a list of famed instrument makers and entrepreneurs that includes Charles Elmer and Richard Perkin, Arnold Beckman, and William Hewlett and David Packard, among others. Pittcon 2019 attendees can stop by Booth 100 to check out the newest members of the Hall of Fame.

📷 Pittcon Hall of Fame. Science History Institute/Roy Engelbrecht.
From the Blog
The  Distillations blog  is the place for regular updates from the intersections of science, culture, and history.
Valves from Hercules Powder Company

Why emphasizing intellectual achievement and scientific “genius” harms scientists with intellectual disabilities—and the rest of us.
Still from Where Are My Children

The silent movie Where Are My Children? is more than a century old, but its central question—who “deserves” access to reproductive rights—still resonates today.
Program Spotlight
Cow and dairy maid ad
Thursday, March 28, 2019
6:00 p.m. → Lecture
7:00 p.m. → Reception
Join us for our Spring 2019 Rohm and Haas Fellow in Focus Lecture presented by Rebecca Kaplan , the Institute’s 2018–2020 Cain Postdoctoral Fellow. “Milk Safety in the 20th Century: Eradicating Brucellosis in the United States” is based on a recent case of brucellosis, a bacterial infection spread through exposure to such contaminated dairy products as raw milk. Kaplan will examine the complex relationship between veterinary medicine, human medicine, agricultural economies, and politics. This event is free, but registration is required.
📷 Ad featured in the trade journal Food: Processing, Packing, Marketing , 1945. Science History Institute.
Book Club titles

Join the Science History Institute’s Book Club , an exclusive Facebook group where you can chat with fellow nerds about the latest science-y best sellers.

What is dark matter? How is the mining of scarce metals affecting the environment? How do we imagine the moon landing 50 years on? These are just a few of the questions tackled in this year’s Book Club picks. Join the conversation .

What we’re reading:

  • The 4 Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality by Richard Panek

  • Shoot for the Moon: The Space Race and the Extraordinary Voyage of Apollo 11 by James Donovan

  • T-Minus: The Race to the Moon by Jim Ottaviani

  • Rare: The High-Stakes Race to Satisfy Our Need for the Scarcest Metals on Earth by Keith Veronese

  • Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear by Margee Kerr

📷 Science History Institute.
Support Our Mission
Science History Institute

We believe access to the past empowers individuals to build better futures. Your financial support makes it possible.

Thanks for Reading!
The Science History Institute e-newsletter is published every other month. Comments, questions, or suggestions? Contact enews@sciencehistory.org . 
 
If you received this email from a friend and would like to receive future issues directly, join our mailing list .