Presentations

2017

"What the Present Neglect of Ethics of Chemistry tells us about the Past Neglect of Philosophy of Chemistry, and vice versa", Summer Symposium of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, University of Paris Diderot, France, 3-6 July 2017 (invited keynote).

"Synthetic Biology and the Chemical Ambition to Create Artificial Life", Workshop on Ethical Cases for Chemistry Education, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark, 16-17 June 2017.

2016

"Was heißt ethisches Handeln in der Chemie heute?", GDCh/FCI Panel discussion, Dechema Frankfurt, Germany 17 October 2016 (invited panel contribution).

"Radical Change and Material Complexity: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Chemistry", Université Paris Diderot, France, 13 October 2016.

"Die Chemie als Teufelswerk? 2300 Jahre Chemiekritik", University of Stuttgart (GDCh-Kolloquium), 12 May 2016.

2015

“Material Emergence in Chemistry: The Standard Case“, Workshop on Material Emergences, Sorbonne University, Paris, France, 24-28 May 2015 (invited).

“Three Types of Images in Science: Diagrams, Visual Documentations, Decorations”, ESF­EMBO Symposium on Bacterial Networks (BacNet15), Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain, 9-14 May 2015 (invited).

“Die Chemie als Teufelswerk? 2300 Jahre Chemiekritik” (Chemistry as Devil’s Work? 2300 Years of Chemistry Critique), Chemie und Gesellschaft, Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany, 15-17 April 2015 (invited keynote).

“The Artificial Creation of Life: History and Ethics of Synthetic Biology”, Universidad de Santander, Colombia, 30 January 2015.

2014

“Die künstliche Herstellung von Leben: Kulturhistorische und ethische Dimensionen” (The Artificial Creation of Life: Historical and Ethical Dimensions), Summer School Synthetische Biologie: Versprechungen und Risiken moderner Biotechnologie, Universität Heidelberg / Burg Trifels, Germany, 1-4 September 2014 (invited).

“Wozu Wissenschaft? Die Vielheit der Zwecke und ihre philosophische Polarisierung” (Why Science? The Variety of Purposes and their Philosophical Polarization), University of Jena, Germany, 21 May 2014..

2013

“Radical Change and Material Complexity: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Chemistry”, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, 5 August 2013.

“Models versus Laws of Nature in Chemistry”, Summer Symposium of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay, 31 July - 3 August 2013 (invited keynote).

“Can we infer from the ‘normativity of life’ a normative argument for or against the artificial production of life?”, Workshop on ‘Normativität des Lebendigen’, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany 8-10 April 2013 (invited).

2012

“Knowing through Making: From Synthetic Chemistry to Synthetic Biology”, Workshop on Data Intensive Biology, Konrad-Lorenz Institute & University of Vienna, Austria, 14-15 June 2012 (invited).

“Why Laws of Nature Don’t Matter much in Chemistry”, Workshop on Natural Laws, Academia Europaea, Heidelberg, Germany, 4-5 June 2012 (invited).

“The Artificial Creation of Life: Science or Charlatanery?“, Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany, 25 April 2012 (invited).

2011

"Lectures on Philosophy of Chemistry", Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 2011.

“Radical Change and Material Complexity: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Chemistry”, First Brazilian Meeting on Philosophy of Chemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 30 November 2011 (invited keynote address).

“Ethical and Social Issues of Nanotechnologies”, Global Conference on Ethics of Science and Technology, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines, 20-22 October 2011 (invited keynote address).

"Lectures on Philosophy of Chemistry", University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines, October 2011.

“Knowing through Making: From Synthetic Chemistry to Synthetic Biology”, Summer Symposium of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, Bogota, Colombia, 9-11 August 2011 (invited keynote address).

“From Synthetic Chemistry to Synthetic Biology: The Revival of the Verum Factum Principle”, Symposium of the Joint Commission of IUHPS, 14th Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, Nancy, France, 19-26 July 2011 (invited keynote address).

“Knowing Through Making: The Epistemic Claims of Synthetic Biology”, Leibniz-University Hannover, Germany, 21 January 2011 (invited).

2010

“Is Mathematical Physics an Epistemological Model for Mathematical Chemistry?”, 2nd Mathematical Chemistry Workshop of the Americas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, 19-24 July 2010 (invited).

"Lectures on Philosophy of Chemistry", Universidad de Pamplona, Colombia, 22-26 March 2010.

"Lectures on Philosophy of Chemistry", Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, 15-19 March 2010.

2009

"Lectures on Philosophy of Chemistry", Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia, December 2009.

"Radical Change and Material Complexity: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Chemistry”, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, 16 October 2009 (invited).

“Interdisciplinarity Issues of Bionanotechnologies”, Humboldt-Kolleg on Nano-Bio: The Next Transformative Convergence, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA, 14-15 October 2009 (invited keynote address).

"Globalisation Issues of Nanotechnology”, Symposium on Nano-Ethics Education, University of Washington, Seattle, USA, 9-11 September 2009 (invited).

“Radical Change and Material Complexity: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Chemistry”, Symposium on the Philosophy of Chemistry, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, 20-22 July 2009 (invited).

“The Rhetoric of Converging Technologies”, Biennial Meeting of the Society for Philosophy and Technology, Twente University, Netherlands, 8-10 July 2009.

“Nanotechnology: A New Social Movement at the Interface between Science and its Publics”, University of Regensburg, Germany, 29 June 2009 (invited).

“Cultural Diversity in Nanotechnology Ethics”, UNESCO Expert Meeting on Nanotechnologies and Ethics in the Arab Region, Doha, Qatar, 18-19 May 2009 (invited).

“Radical Change and Material Complexity: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Chemistry”, Annual Meeting of the Senior Expert Chemists of the GDCh, Hanau, Germany, 7-9 May 2009 (invited).

“Radical Change and Material Complexity: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Chemistry”, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan, 21 April 2009 (invited).

“The Cultural Perception of Nanotechnology”, French-Japanese Symposium on The Challenge of Nanotechnologies: Health and Environmental Issues, Seinan Gakuin University, Fukuoka, Japan, 17-19 April 2009 (invited).

“Nanotechnology: A New Social Movement at the Interface between Science and its Publics”, Joint Conference of the GDCh and DPG on The History of Materials Research, University of Göttingen, Germany, 24-26 March 2009 (invited).

2008

“Opportunities and Difficulties of Open-Access Journals”, session on Electronic Scholarship at the Joint Meeting of the History of Science Society and the Philosophy of Science Association, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 6-9 November 2008 (invited).

“Walking Nano and Converging Technologies Through Society”, Twente University, Netherlands, 14 August 2008.

“Methodological Pluralism, and the Merits and Limits of Quantum Mechanics in Chemistry”, Workshop on Chemistry: Reductionism and Its Alternatives, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, 31 July - 1 August 2008.

“The Rhetoric of Converging Technologies”, Workshop on Knowledge Politics and Converging Technologies, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium, 6-7 May 2008.

“Social and Ethical Issues of Nanotechnologies”, TU Chemnitz, 18 April 2008.

2007

“Social and Ethical Issues of Nanotechnologies”, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany, 9 November 2007.

“Frankenstein and the Literary Figure of the Mad Scientist”, Catholic University of Eichstätt, Germany, 8 November 2007.

“The Notion of Nature in Chemistry”, Technical University of Stuttgart, Germany, 6 November 2007.

“Epistemological Limits of Microscopic Precision”, Workshop on Visualizing the Invisible: Microscopic Processes in the Laboratory, Deutsches Museum, Munic, Germany, 18-19 October 2007.

“From Science to Technoscience: The Formation of the Disciplinary Identity of Chemistry in the 19th Century”, 6th International Conference on the History of Chemistry, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, 28 August - 1 September 2007.

“Evidence-based Philosophy of Science”, 1st Biennal Conference of the Society for the Philosophy of Science and Engineering Practice, Twente University, Netherlands, 23-25 August 2007

“The Impact of Nanotechnologies on Developing Countries”, Biennial Conference of the Society for Philosophy of Technology, Charleston, SC, USA, 8-11 July 2007.

“Social and Ethical Issues of Nanotechnologies”, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, 22 June 2007.

"Social and Ethical Issues of Nanotechnologies“, University of Sofia, Bulgaria, 22 May 2007.

“From Nano-Convergence to NBIC-Convergence: ‘The best way to predict the future is to create it’”, Workshop on Deliberating Future Technologies, University of Basel, Switzerland, 5 May 2007.

“Social and Ethical Issues of Nanotechnologies”, Technical University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 18 April 2007.

“The Notion of Nature in Chemistry”, Technical University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 17 April 2007.

“The Impact of Nanotechnologies on Developing Countries”, 8th Asian Bio-Ethics Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 19 March 2007.

“Social and Ethical Issues of Nanotechnologies”, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia, 5 March 2007.

“Cultural Diversity in Nanotechnology Ethics”, Department of Philosophy, University of Melbourne, Australia, 28 February 2007.

“Cultural Diversity in Nanotechnology Ethics”, Center for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 9 February 2007.

2006

“Stuff and Form: An Anti-metaphysical Analysis”, Workshop on Stuff: The Nature of Chemical Substances, University of Leuven, Belgium, 26 July 2006 .

“‘Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology’: Meanings, Interest Groups and Social Dynamics”, Workshop on Visions of Nanotechnology, Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities, University of Tübingen, Germany, 24 June 2006.

“The Dynamics of Nanotechnology Visions”, Twente University, Netherlands, 4 May 2006.

“Philosophy and Ethics of Emerging Technologies”, Technical University Eindhoven, Netherlands, 3 May 2006.

“Metaphysical Orientation and its Price: The Notion of Nature in Nanotechnology Reports”, Workshop on The Challenge of Nanotechnology to Ontology, Ethics, and Society, University of Padova, Italy, 10 March 2006.

2005

"From the phenomenological form of crystals to the mathematical theory of symmetry: a history of the crystallographic concept of form”, Form als Prinzip, Hermann von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany, 15-16 December 2005

“Identifying Ethical Issues of Nanotechnology Amidst the Nano Hype”, UNESCO Expert Group on Nanotechnology and Ethics, UNESCO, Paris, France, 5-7 December, 2005.

“Communicating 'Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology'”, Nano-Workshop, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, 4 November 2005.

“Realism and Atomism in 19th-Century Chemistry”, 2nd Annual German-American Frontiers of Humanities Symposium, University of Hamburg, Germany, 20-23 October 2005.

“Providing Metaphysical Sense and Orientation: Nature-Chemistry Relations in the Popular Historiography of Chemistry”, Chemistry, Technology and Society (5th European Conference on the History of Chemistry), Lisbon, Portugal, 6-10 September 2005.

“Self-Assembly versus Atom-by-Atom-Manipulation: Conflicting Technological Paradigms in Nanotechnology”, 9th International Symposium on the Philosophy of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA, 7-11 August 2005.

“Cultural Conditions for Perceiving Ethical Issues of Nanotechnology”, German-Chinese Symposium on Ethics of Science and Technology, Dalian, China, 17-22 July 2005.

“Identifying Ethical Issues of Nanotechnology Amidst the Nano Hype”, UNESCO Expert Group on Nanotechnology and Ethics, UNESCO, Paris, France, 5-6 July, 2005.

“Making Molecules Look Like Machines”, Imaging NanoSpace, ZIF, University of Bielefeld, Germany, 11-14 May 2005.

“Visionary Alliances in the American Debate on ‘Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology’”, Institute for Science and Technology Studies (IWT), University of Bielefeld, Germany, 9 May 2005.

“Interdisciplinarity in Nanoscale Research”, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany, 18 April 2005.

“Visionary Alliances in the American Debate on ‘Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology’”, Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe, Germany, 11 April 2005.

“The Visual Image of Chemistry”, Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry, Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 23 March 2005 (with Tami Spector).

“The Twisted History of Supramolecular Chemistry: Or, why relabeling supramolecular chemistry ‘nano’ is both justified and welcome”, Nano Before There Was Nano: Historical Perspectives on the Constituent Communities of Nanotechnology, Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 18-19 March 2005.

“The Visual Image of Science”, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA, 16 March 2005.

“Ethics in the Age of Fundamentalism: Vacillating Between Nano-Salvation and Nano-Armageddon”, Nano-Ethics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, 2-6 March 2005.

“Chemistry in Art: A Virtual Exhibition”, Aethetics of Science, ZIF, University of Bielefeld, Germany, 17-19 February 2005.

“Experimental versus Theoretical Part/Whole Relations in Chemistry”, Annual Conference of the Société de philosophie des sciences, Paris, France, 21-22 January 2005.

“Interdisciplinarity and Multidisciplinarity in Nanoscale Research”, Nanotechnology in Science, Economy and Society, University of Marburg, Germany, 13-15 January 2005.

“The History of the Notion of Nature in Chemistry”, University of Hamburg, Germany, 12 January 2005.

2004

“Techno-Scientism as Religion: Transhumanism”, University of Darmstadt, Germany, 3 November 2004.

“Teaching Societal and Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology to Engineering Students”, International Conference on Engineering Education, University of Florida, Gainesville FL, USA, 16-21 October 2004 (with Rosalyn Berne).

“The Visual Image of Chemistry”, The Public Image of Chemistry, Conference of the IUHPS/DHS Commission on the History of Modern Chemistry, Paris, France, 17-18 September 2004 (with Tami Spector).

“The History of the Notion of Nature in Chemistry”, University of Darmstadt, Germany, 15 June 2004.

“Philosophical Topics of Chemistry”, University of Sofia, Bulgaria, 28 May 2004.

“Interdisciplinarity in Nanoscale Research”, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA, 14 April 2004.

“Ethics of Chemical Synthesis”, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA, 24 March 2004.

“The Aesthetic Origin of Nanotechnology in Supramolecular Chemistry: Gestalt Switch in Molecular Image Perception”, Imaging and Imagining NanoScience and Engineering”, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA, 3-7 March 2004.

“Ethics of Chemical Synthesis”, Department of Philosophy, University of San Francisco, USA, 6 February 2004.

“Interdisciplinarity in Nanoscale Research”, Department of Chemistry, University of San Francisco, USA, 5 February 2004.

2003

“Patterns of Interdisciplinarity in Nanoscale Research”, Nanoelectronics Symposium, Nanocenter, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA, 21 November 2003 (poster presentation).

“Multidisciplinarity, Interdisciplinarity, and Patterns of Collaborations in Nanoscale Research”, Annual Meeting of the Society of Social Studies of Science (4S), Atlanta, GA, USA, 16-19 October, 2003.

“Interdisciplinary Issues of Nanoscale Research, II”, Discovering the Nanoscale II, University of Darmstadt, Germany, 9-12 October 2003.

“Zeitbewußtsein, Ökologie und Ethik”, University of Darmstadt, Germany, 10 July 2003.

“Interdisciplinarity versus Reductionism: An Analysis of Four Debates in the Life Sciences”, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA, 15 April 2003.

“Interdisciplinary Issues of Nanoscale Research, I”, Discovering the Nanoscale I, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA, 20-23 March 2003.

2002

“Natural versus Chemical: A Conceptual Clarification”, University of Karlsruhe, Germany, 4 December 2002.

“Philosophy of Chemistry: From Infancy towards Maturity”, Conference of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, Washington DC, USA, 4-8 August 2002 (opening lecture, invited)

“Concepts of Nature in Modern Drug Research”, Technology – System – Responsibility, University of Cottbus, Germany, 10-13 July 2002 (invited).

“Interdisciplinarity and Reductionism in the Life Sciences: A Comparison of Four Controversies”, University of Karlsruhe, Germany, 3 July 2002.

“Natural versus Chemical: A Conceptual Clarification”, University of Darmstadt, Germany, 18 June 2002.

“Ethics of Technology”, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 27 March 2002.

2001

“Ethics of Chemical Synthesis”, Conference of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, Loughborough, U.K., 6-9 August 2001 (invited).

2000

“The Impact of Instrumentation on Chemical Species Identity”, From the Test-Tube to the Autoanalyzer: The Development of Chemical Instrumentation in the 20th Century, Workshop of the International Commission for the History of Modern Chemistry, Science Museum, London, U.K., 10-12 August 2000 (invited).

“The Role of Nature in Conceiving and Judging Chemical Manipulation of Matter”, Conference of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, Poznan, Poland, 7-10 August 2000 (invited).

“Why do Chemists Perform Experiments?”, Symposium on the Philosophy of Chemistry, London School of Economics, Center for Philosophy of the Natural and Social Sciences, London, UK, 13 May 2000 (invited).

“Coping with the Growth of Knowledge: Challenges to the Chemical Information Management”, European Media Lab, University of Heidelberg, Germany, 17 April 2000.

1999

“Ethics of Chemical Research”, University of Freiburg, Germany, 26 October 1999.

1998

“Philosophical De-materialization of the World”, Materiality, Immateriality, and Archeology of Materials, Workshop of the Lucerna Foundation, University of Luzern, Switzerland, 28-30 September 1998 (invited).

“Epistemology of Material Properties”, Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy, Boston/MA, USA, 10-17 August 1998.

“Population Dynamics in the Chemical Zoo: Dynamics, Aims, and Methods of Synthetic Chemistry”, University of Bielefeld, Germany, 20 January 1998.

1997

“Aesthetic Potentials of Chemical Products: Substances, Molecules and Molecular Models”, College at Holzen, Germany, 12 December 1997.

“On Striving for Pleasure”, Third International Congress of the Society for Analytical Philosophy (GAP 3), University of Munic, Germany, 15-18 September 1997.

“Problems of Physical Reduction: the Chemical Core of Chemistry”, Technical University of Munich, Germany, 17 June 1997.

“Challenging Standard Distinctions between Science and Technology: The Case of Preparative Chemistry”, Advances in the Philosophy of Technology, Annual Conference of the Académie Internationale de Philosophie des Sciences, Karlsruhe, Germany, 20-24 May 1997 (invited).

“Aesthetic Potentials of Chemical Products: Substances, Molecules and Molecular Models”, The Deviation via Art, Workshop of the Program ‘Chemistry and Humanities’ of the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, Wolfenbüttel Library, Germany, 1-2 March 1997 (invited).

“Population Dynamics in the Chemical Zoo. Dynamics, Aims, and Methods of Synthetic Chemistry”, University of Heidelberg, Germany, 5 February 1997.

1996

“Chemistry’s Change of the Material World: Philosophical Challenges”, 17th German Congress for Philosophy, University of Leipzig, Germany, 23-27 September 1996.

“Physical Chemistry - Neither Fish nor Fowl?”, Third Erlenmeyer-Colloquy for the Philosophy of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Germany, 16-17 September 1996 (invited).

1995

“How to do Descriptive Methodology? Meta-methodological Reflections on the Investigation of Methodological Pecularities of Scientific Disciplines”, Annual Conference of the German-Hungarian Society for Philosophy, Fellbach, Germany, 20-21 November 1995, (invited).

“Zeitbewußtsein und Ökologie”, Zeit für Kinder, Kinderaktionstage Karlsruhe, Volkshochschule Karlsruhe, Germany, 28 September 1995 (invited).

“Peculiarities of Chemistry”, Tenth International Congress of Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Florence, Italy, 19-25 August 1995.

“Problems of Physical Reduction: the Chemical Core of Chemistry”, International Workshop on Chemistry and Reduction, University of Konstanz, Germany, 15-17 June 1995 (invited).

1994

“Philosophical Reflections on the Notion of Time”, Colloquy on Body - Art - Velocity, Artaque Karlsruhe, Germany, 8 December 1994 (invited).

“On the Semiotics of the Chemical Sign Language: Representation of Dynamical Relations by Static Means”, Second Erlenmeyer-Colloquy on Philosophy of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Germany, 11-12 November 1994 (invited).

“On the Environmental Relevance of a Philosophy of Substances”, International Conference on Philosophy of Chemistry, University of Karlsruhe, Germany, 16-17 April 1994.

“Philosophical De-materialization of the World”, International Conference on Philosophy of Chemistry, University of Karlsruhe, Germany, 16-17 April 1994.

1993

“The Role of Experiments in Chemistry”, First Erlenmeyer-Colloquy on Philosophy of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Germany, November 1993 (invited).

“Environmental Chemistry for Engineers: A transdisciplinary approach”, Conference of the Schools of Engineering of the Co-operative Universities of Baden-Württemberg, Co-operative University of Karlsruhe, Germany, October 1993 (invited).

“Experimentalism in Chemistry”, Workshop on Philosophy of Chemistry, Technical University of Coburg, Germany, 19 June 1993 (invited).