Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Massimiliano Simons

@masssimons.bsky.social

3K followers 1.4K following 270 posts

Assistant Prof. in Philosophy of Technology Maastricht University, fascinated by #synbio, #experimentation, #historicalepistemology, #HOPOS, #HOPOT, #sciencefiction and #conspiracytheory - he/him

Videos

Philosophy 35%

History 12%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Massimiliano Simons @masssimons.bsky.social · 17h

Wow, impressive!

Massimiliano Simons @masssimons.bsky.social · 18h

I would have loved to be at #SHOT2025, sadly our paper on the history of Dutch philosopher-engineers was rejected ! Maybe next time

Ben Gross @bhgross144.bsky.social · 1d

And we're back! Andreas Fickers, director of @c2dh.uni.lu, kicks off tonight's plenary by welcoming @shothisttech.bsky.social to Luxembourg. He notes that the theme of #SHOT2025 (Technologies of Migration, Migrating Technologies) is esp. relevant given recent threats to global academic freedom.

2 3

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Ben Gross @bhgross144.bsky.social · 1d

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Society for the History of the Philosophy of Technology (HPT) @hptsociety.bsky.social · 8d

On this day in 1924, Gilbert Simondon was born. A pioneering French philosopher of technology, Simondon challenged us to see machines not as passive tools but as entities with their own modes of existence.
1/

1 4 11

Reposted by Alan Richardson, Massimiliano Simons

Hanna Lucia Worliczek @hworliczek.bsky.social · 8d

#Job #PhilSci #HPS
Fully funded PhD-position at Bielefeld University, Philosophy of the Biomedical Sciences), deadline Oct 30, 2025
Job ad: uni-bielefeld.hr4you.org/job/view/451...
On the program: blogs.uni-bielefeld.de/blog/isosnew...

Doctoral Researcher in Philosophy of the Medical S...

The History and Philosophy of Medicine Group, led by Prof. Lara Keuck, is looking for a highly motivated candidate for a three-year PhD project in phi...

uni-bielefeld.hr4you.org

13 14

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Maastricht University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences @fasosmaastricht.bsky.social · 8d

How did #computers go from niche machines to everywhere, all at once? It turns out one of the oldest technologies, #books, was key.

Join our MUSTS colloquium by @patrickmccray.bsky.social on Wednesday 8 October in which we will explore how literature shaped the rise of computing.

shorturl.at/UJsqM

1 4 9

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Prof. Elaine Chalus @profelainechalus.bsky.social · 13d

Associate Lecturer (Teaching) in History of Modern Science - UCL - Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOV745/a... #skystorians 🗃️

Associate Lecturer (Teaching) in History of Modern Science at UCL

Discover an exciting academic career path as a Associate Lecturer (Teaching) in History of Modern Science at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

www.jobs.ac.uk

5 2

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons, Elisa Freschi

Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 14d

#Postdoc at Technische Universität Berlin in digital humanities & history/philosophy/sociology of science #philsci #STS. ERC project investigates digital communication within the ATLAS collaboration at CERN

Deadline: October 13, 2025
www.jobs.tu-berlin.de/en/job-posti...
#PhilJobs

Job Posting I-390/25: Research Associate - salary grade E13 TV-L Berliner Hochschulen – Job Postings at Technische Universität Berlin

Faculty I - Humanities and Educational Sciences, Institute of History and Philosophy of Science, Technology, and Literature / History and Philosophy of Modern Science

www.jobs.tu-berlin.de

19 28

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Society for the History of the Philosophy of Technology (HPT) @hptsociety.bsky.social · 14d

On this day in 1889, Martin Heidegger was born. Heidegger holds a prominent place in the history of the philosophy of technology as he is often taken to be one of the first philosophers to take technology seriously.
1/

1 1 7

Massimiliano Simons @masssimons.bsky.social · 15d

Would read it

Reposted by Alan Richardson, Massimiliano Simons

Patrick @plferree.bsky.social · 16d

PhD project in philosophy of science in practice. The main PI is Sara Green. Check it out!

employment.ku.dk/phd/?show=16...

PhD Project in Philosophy of Science: Philosophical Perspectives on Animal Models in Translational Neuroscience

employment.ku.dk

4 8

Massimiliano Simons @masssimons.bsky.social · 16d

Cannot but disagree

Massimiliano Simons @masssimons.bsky.social · 17d

Goes on my reading list! Very much in favor of more metaphilosophy of science!

1 2

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda @alejandrofabregastejeda.com · 17d

I am quite excited to share a new preprint on the prospects for a 'metaphilosophy of science'—a second-order inquiry into the concepts, assumptions, aims, and methods that underpin philosophy of science itself. 👇📃 philsci-archive.pitt.edu/26661/ 1/3 #philsci #philsky #HPS #HPbio #metaphilosophy

Toward a Metaphilosophy of Science - PhilSci-Archive

philsci-archive.pitt.edu

5 20 80

Reposted by Kathleen Kennedy, Massimiliano Simons, François Guesnet

Liesbeth Corens @onslies.bsky.social · 17d

AN #EARLYMODERN POST!! They still exist! And a lovely one at that, for five years and with the brilliant people at KCL who have turned that place in quite the hub of exciting early modern research.

Run, don’t walk.

Lecturer in the History of Early Modern Europe and the World at King's College London

Discover an exciting academic career path as a Lecturer in the History of Early Modern Europe and the World at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

www.jobs.ac.uk

2 60 65

Reposted by Fabián Muniesa, Massimiliano Simons

Society for the History of the Philosophy of Technology (HPT) @hptsociety.bsky.social · 19d

Today, we celebrate the life and contributions of Mario Bunge (1919–2025), a prominent philosopher of science who also reflected on technology.
1/

2 4 11

Reposted by Steven French, Lesley A. Hall, Jack Stilgoe , and 2 more Steven French, Lesley A. Hall, Jack Stilgoe, Massimiliano Simons, Elisa Freschi

Elaine Ayers @eayers0.bsky.social · 21d

36 mo postdoc / research fellow position in Philosophy, History, and/or Social Studies of the Life Sciences in the STS dept. at Technical Universtiy of Munich, apps due Oct 31: #histphil #histsci #histSTM

www.sts.sot.tum.de/en/sts/arbei...

Jobs

www.sts.sot.tum.de

34 35

Reposted by Peter Adamson, Steven French, Daniel S. Goldberg , and 4 more Peter Adamson, Steven French, Daniel S. Goldberg, Alan Richardson, Andreas De Block, Massimiliano Simons, Jeroen Van Bouwel

Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science (CLPS) @clpskuleuven.bsky.social · 22d

Hello, #AcademicSky! We are the Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science (CLPS) at KU Leuven. Our senior and junior researchers focus on #logic, #epistemology & #philsci. We’re here to share our work and connect with logicians and philosophers of science worldwide—help us spread the word! #philsky

Cobblestone pathway leading to the red-brick Institute of Philosophy building at KU Leuven in Belgium (home of the Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science), framed by ivy-covered walls, arched windows, and lush greenery with purple wisteria flowers in the foreground.

5 29 110

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Dr Juliette @ferrydanini.bsky.social · 23d

Le mood board que j'ai envoyé et la couverture qu'on a eu ✨ poke @samlepine.bsky.social

3 2 18

Reposted by Mark Rubin, Massimiliano Simons

Bart Penders 🟥 @penders.bsky.social · 23d

"Epistemic oligarchies: capture and concentration through science reform", a new preprint by Sven Ulpts (not here), Sheena Bartscherer (also not here), @nicolecnelson.bsky.social and me. Read it here: zenodo.org/records/1713... 1/

Epistemic oligarchies: capture and concentration through science reform

In this paper we describe how current efforts to reform science create oligarchic power structures within science and prepare scientific products for the uptake by existing oligarchic actors like Big ...

zenodo.org

2 11 20

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

The HOPOS Journal @hoposjournal.bsky.social · 23d

In the latest #HOPOS Fenner Tanswell, Brendan Larvor & Colin Rittberg "examine the origins of the dialectical approach to the philosophy of mathematics."

www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1...

Black and white text available at link in post

2 7

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Mel Andrews @bayesianboy.bsky.social · 26d

The vision of human-out-of-the-loop science fundamentally mistakes what knowledge production is. It aims at the production of, wait for it, knowledge: a thing that definitionally involves an epistemic agent or agents, unless you are theistic about it.

2 6 41

Massimiliano Simons @masssimons.bsky.social · 28d

If only Latour would have defined his own project as a revival of Descartes, all would have been fine

Massimiliano Simons @masssimons.bsky.social · 28d

I also see it regularly in Francophone conferences.. do not underestimate the French loyalty to some kind of rationalism that they see threatened by a social study of science

Reposted by Michela Massimi, Alan Richardson, Dolly Jørgensen , and 2 more Michela Massimi, Alan Richardson, Dolly Jørgensen, Massimiliano Simons, Jeroen Van Bouwel

Sabina Leonelli @sabinaleonelli.bsky.social · 28d

JOB AD: If you research philosophy, history or social studies of biology, with interest in agroecology, crop science or environmental intelligence, consider applying for 3-year postdoctoral fellowship in Munich! Deadline for applications: 31/10, details www.sts.sot.tum.de/en/sts/arbei... #philsci

Jobs

www.sts.sot.tum.de

1 38 36

Reposted by Richard McElreath, Ingo Rohlfing, Massimiliano Simons

Sabina Leonelli @sabinaleonelli.bsky.social · 28d

A quick reminder to all those who care about open research to consider joining us for the FOR2026 Conference in the Future of Open Research at the Technical University of Munich in May 4-6, 2026! Deadline for paper and poster proposals: 30 September

opensciencestudies.eu/for-2026-con...

FOR 2026 Conference – A Philosophy of Open Science for Diverse Research Environments

opensciencestudies.eu

22 25

Reposted by Geraint Rees, Steve Peers, Albert Weale , and 7 more Geraint Rees, Steve Peers, Albert Weale, Mark E. Schaffer, Juan Cole, Margot C. Finn, Michael H. Whitworth, Michael D. McDonald, Dana R. Fisher, Massimiliano Simons

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 28d

Pet parrots which typically live alone (whilst those in the wild live in large flocks) were given the technology to call each other. They would use it for up to three hours a day, and developed favourite friends 💔
on.ft.com/3K05vhS

When a parrot wanted to connect with a distant friend, a touchscreen showed a selection of other birds available online. The parrots learned to activate the screen, designed specially for them, by touching it gently with their tongues rather than pecking aggressively with their beaks.
"We had 26 birds involved," said Hirskyj-Douglas. "They would use the system up to three hours a day, with each call lasting up to five minutes." The interactions ranged from preening and playing with toys to loud vocal exchanges.
"When we went through the data, we found that most of these parrots had favourite friends," said Hirskyj-Douglas.

130 2.1K 6.7K

Massimiliano Simons @masssimons.bsky.social · 29d

There is an ongoing 'discussion' on the French #philsci mailing list about 'anti-Latourism' that is hilarious. Some people really hate Latour and feel the need to publicly express their dislike in the most ridiculous ways.

plankton from spongebob is sitting in a chair holding a bucket of popcorn

ALT: plankton from spongebob is sitting in a chair holding a bucket of popcorn

media.tenor.com

1 9

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Dani Shanley @danishanley.bsky.social · 29d

So chuffed to get my hands on a physical copy of @klingebeil.bsky.social's beautiful "Hype: A Critical Field Guide" 💫 Since putting it together, Johannes has sent out over 700 copies 🔥 get yours here: johannesklingebiel.de/portfolio/a-...

2 2 7

Reposted by Massimiliano Simons

Oded Rechavi @odedrechavi.bsky.social · Sep 10

Full professor complaining to an assistant professor on how hard it is to get funding nowadays

2 26 210