Category Archives: History of Science

Johann Kepler: Life and Works

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Kerry

As Curator of the exceptional Kepler collection at the OU History of Science Collections, I’ve been invited to give talks on Kepler to various audiences, including the 2013 Okie-Tex star party at Black Mesa, Oklahoma. Much as with similar talks … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Copernicus and the Motion of the Earth

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Kerry

Back in 2005, I created a planetarium show, “Copernicus and His Revolutions,” for the Cosmology and Cultures Project of the OBU Planetarium (available here). Soon after that, as Curator of the remarkable Copernicus collection at the OU History of Science … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science | Tagged , | 5 Comments

My work in the library

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Kerry

We have a new incoming dean of libraries, arriving in May. She asked every library employee to respond to several questions. Here are my responses. How do you contribute to University Libraries? I tell stories that connect people with the … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science | Leave a comment

Gabriele Beati and Jesuit Cosmology

Posted on March 20, 2021 by Kerry

This long-ago presentation was the banquet address for 2005 at the 48th annual meeting of the Midwest Junto for the History of Science. A later version was published as Kerry V. Magruder, “Jesuit Science after Galileo: The Cosmology of Gabriele … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science | Leave a comment

History of Science Society statement on racism

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Kerry

From the History of Science Society “Statement on the Death of George Floyd and Racism in the United States”: We know from our historical work how thoroughly entangled science is with racism. Our histories have demonstrated this across medicine, science, … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science | Tagged | Leave a comment

Demarcation Dilemma

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Kerry

The Demarcation Dilemma (PDF) explores how we define natural science, that is, how we distinguish between science and non-science. It does not deal with the question of how we distinguish between good science and poor science, or between good anything … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science | Leave a comment

Shape of the Earth II

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Kerry

My thanks go to Chuck Rice, president of the OKC Astro Club, for inviting me to present a program for the monthly meeting this coming Friday. This video addresses: When did people discover that the Earth is round? Was their … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, History of Science | Tagged | 5 Comments

Early Earth Science Controversies: Mass Extinctions and Ice Ages

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Kerry

Last Thursday night I presented a public talk to kick off a new year-long series to promote scientific literacy. See the coverage on the front page of the Norman Transcript. It’s a joy to participate in an event with area … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, History of Science | Tagged | 1 Comment

Galileo and Medicine: A Culture of Innovation

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Kerry

Download slides (PDF) A. T. Still University (ATSU) is the founding school of Osteopathic Medicine. They host an annual Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Symposium (program). I’m grateful to Dr. Brian Degenhardt, director of the A.T. Still Research Institute, for inviting me … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science, Nature | Tagged | Leave a comment

An Experiment in Wonder

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Kerry

2019/10/17 Download slides (PDF) | Watch video (Vimeo) We’re grateful to the Missouri Association of Museums and Archives for inviting us to present a luncheon keynote at their annual conference this Saturday, October 19. They expressed interest in the story of the Galileo’s World … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How to Read T. F. Torrance’s Creational Theology

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Kerry

For the upcoming Torrance retreat at the Firbush Centre of the University of Edinburgh (program), Bob Walker asked me to speak on how Torrance would respond to the question: “Did the Resurrection change the order of nature?” This question is … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Science, Theology | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Sky Tonight

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Kerry

Last night Brent Purkaple and I were honored to present the final talk in the 2019 series sponsored by the Medieval Fair and the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Despite the rain, there was a full turnout, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art-Music-Lit, Events, History of Science, Nature | Tagged | Leave a comment