Category Archives: History of Science

Fall 2026 update

Posted on August 16, 2026 by Kerry

The beginning of a new semester is always a time of reflection about what lies ahead in light of what lies behind. I’ve been animated by many interests in my work as Curator of the History of Science Collections. Four … Continue reading →

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George MacDonald and the Scientific Imagination

Posted on June 21, 2026 by Kerry

Kerry V. Magruder, George MacDonald & the Scientific Imagination (Hamden, CT: Winged Lion Press, September 2026). Use links below to order the paperback or hardback at a discount (US and UK only). On purchase pages there are also links to … Continue reading →

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IUGS Episodes issue on Women in Geology

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Kerry

The current issue of Episodes: Journal of International Geoscience, sponsored by the International Union of Geological Scientists (IUGS), is devoted to “Women in Geoscience.” Contents of Episodes 49(2026): Heejung Kim, Dolores Pereira, Kathleen Histon, and Martina Kölbl-Ebert, “Empowerment of Women … Continue reading →

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Geology survey

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Kerry

Looking forward to the class visit tomorrow for the history of geology. Sections: Ancient Beginnings Plato; Aristotle; Seneca; Pliny. 16th-17th Centuries Georg Agricola; Kepler; Descartes; Burnet; Kircher; Steno. Fossils: Organic or Inorganic? Cesi and Stelluti; Steno; Woodward; Lhwyd; Beringer; Scheuchzer. … Continue reading →

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Stellar 2025

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Kerry

Welcome STELLAR educators and the NASA Educator Resource Center! “Why did not somebody teach me the constellations, and make me at home in the starry heavens, which are always overhead, and which I don’t half-know to this day?” — Thomas … Continue reading →

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HPG Division sessions at GSA

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Kerry

Update: All sessions made and will proceed at the Geological Society of America’s annual conference in San Antonio. Here’s the announcement I posted on the discussion list for the History, Philosophy, and Geoheritage Division: The Connects 2025 program is now … Continue reading →

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Galileo’s Inclined Plane

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Kerry

OU Inclined Plane The Galileo Inclined Plane working replica that was expertly crafted by Ron Mitchell for the OU Galileo’s World exhibit back in 2015 is urgently in need of a new home. It is a beautiful work of art … Continue reading →

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Foundations of U.S. Geoheritage Efforts

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Kerry

Webinar: “Foundations of U.S. Geoheritage Efforts: Preserving the Past, Advancing the Future” — Geological Society of America. May 14, 10am US Central. Watch recorded video (free registration required). My slides From the GSA announcement: Join our esteemed presenters to learn … Continue reading →

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Niels Bohr, Atoms and Human Knowledge

Posted on June 29, 2024 by Kerry

Jens Rud Nielsen (1894-1979), who joined the OU Physics Department in 1924, was an undergraduate student of Niels Bohr (1885-1962) in Denmark. Bohr, one of the founders of quantum mechanics, made two trips to the University of Oklahoma, first in … Continue reading →

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Bruce Ritchie on James Clerk Maxwell

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Kerry

Video of the Inverness book launch event for Bruce Ritchie, James Clerk Maxwell: Faith, Church and Physics (Edinburgh: Handsel Press, 2024); #2024-br-1. My video recommendation (above). For those who want more, below is a longer video review (21 mins). But … Continue reading →

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Marilyn B. Ogilvie Celebration

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Kerry

Above: Marilyn B. Ogilvie, portrait by Mike Wimmer in the Marilyn B. Ogilvie Room, Bizzell Memorial Library, 5th floor, University of Oklahoma History of Science Collections. Marilyn B. Ogilvie, a specialist on women in science, served as the second curator … Continue reading →

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Scripture and Science exhibit

Posted on September 30, 2023 by Kerry

This week I had the joy and delight of visiting the Museum of the Bible (MOTB) in Washington, D.C. My purpose was related to the Scripture and Science exhibit, which opened in January 2023 and will close at the end … Continue reading →

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