Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Sep 5

Sydney! What a beautiful city you are; I am in awe. I'm giving a talk "Weaving Genetics with Silk in Japan" in the School of History and Philosophy of Science @ U. Sydney Mon. 8 Sep. (F23 rm 501). Please join if you are in the area! #Japan #histsci #silk 🐛 hps-events.sydney.edu.au/event/weavin...

Weaving Genetics with Silk in Japan - Lisa Onaga - History and Philosophy of Science Events

Abstract When the history of raw silk is traced by following the thread of commodity formation and trade, our capacity to fully grasp the interactions among the insects, plants, and […]

hps-events.sydney.edu.au

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Reposted by Lisa Onaga

Tadashi Fukami @fukamit.bsky.social · Aug 6

Assistant Professor position in Traditional Ecological Knowledge at Stanford University. Applications due Sept 30, 2025

facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...

Stanford | Faculty Positions: Details - Assistant Professor in Traditional Ecological Knowledge

facultypositions.stanford.edu

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Aug 9

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the A-bombing of Nagasaki. In this podcast, Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki discusses the importance of pursuing a culture of peace: "We have to move forward, even if it is one little step" "to realize a world without nuclear weapons" open.substack.com/pub/annelise...

Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki

On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki calls on the world to remember—and act.

open.substack.com

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Jul 19

Please register for the HSS meeting @NOLA & come meet Ashton Wesner 🐟Sam Muka 🪸 Rebecca Woods 🐒 Aleksandar Shopov 🐫 and + discuss their research on animal mobilities and why such histories of science matter. Thanks to Sonia Wigh, co-organizer of this roundtable with the Osiris editors! #histsci

Left hand holding a hard copy of "Animal Mobilities," volume 40 of Osiris against backdrop of messy office

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Jun 18

Thank you so much! It was a real team effort, and we had fantastic experiences with the Osiris editors! Hopefully this is just the beginning of even more research about animals and science, technology, medicine, and the environment... and in configurations we've yet to imagine

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Jun 18

To reconsider how, where, and by whom science is done, these amazing authors explore the theme "Animal Mobilities" & guide us to some unexpected spaces to show us how animal agency & human–animal interactions have mattered in the history of knowledge production. 🐟🪰🪸🐕🦆🐒🦏🐘🐛

Check it out! 👇

Table of Contents of "Animal Mobilities" Osiris volume 40

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Jun 18

Given all that is going on in the 🌏, I'm humbled to announce that "Animal Mobilities" is released into the wild. 12 richly illustrated essays, ed. by Novick, Onaga, & Rosenberg
🪸🐛 🦆🐒🐘🪳🦏 🐕🐟
Come for the critters, stay for the history of science.
doi.org/10.1086/735515
@uchicagopress.bsky.social

Knowing Animals, Moving Animals: Osiris: Vol 40

Abstract Human societies often come to know the natural world by examining animals, even as animals, frequently both willful and animate, elude human grasps and challenge human aims. Animals and their...

doi.org

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · May 30

I'm giving a lunchtime talk today (12noon UK time) on the postwar history of sericulture and science in Japan. Excited to share this research with a bunch of animal geography scholars @rgs-agwg.bsky.social ! #animals #japan

RGS Animal Geographies @rgs-agwg.bsky.social · May 23

In a week's time, we'll have a research seminar with Dr Lisa Onaga titled 'Where Have All The Silkworms Gone? Finding a Place for Sericulture in Postwar Japan'. Registration below!

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Reposted by Lisa Onaga

Michael McDonnell @historymatterssyd.bsky.social · May 13

Postdoc opportunity. Please distribute widely. We’re looking for an emerging scholar doing community-centred or community-led research in Pacific History. Minimal teaching duties, research, relocation funds and visa sponsorship available.

usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/USYD_E...

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Pacific History

Full time, fixed term for 3 years Opportunity for research in Pacific history in the Discipline of History First Nations and Pacific Nations candidates strongly encouraged to apply Academic Level A6-8...

usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Apr 27

Queuing up som PBS films for upcoming AAPI history month w/ "Your Serve or Mine" (pbs.org/video/your-s... on ping-pong diplomacy w/ comments from historian of science Zuoyue Wang, and "Becoming Yamazushi" on the Durham, NC kaiseki restaurant, dir by rap artist #GYamazawa www.pbs.org/video/becomi...

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Apr 5

MPIWG is hiring postdocs in Dept "Artifacts, Action, Knowledge" (includes working groups RTAWD, Heavens in Your Hand, Common Kg, Metals&Minerals) + Dept "Knowledge Systems + Collective Life" and @astra-mpiwg.bsky.social ! Do check "career" page for closing dates: tinyurl.com/2usszea9
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job advertisement screenshot https://www.mpg.de/24329299/postdoctoral-scholars1

screenshot of MPIWG Reclaiming "Turtles All The Way Down" working group web page https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/research/projects/reclaiming-turtles-all-way-down-tawd-plural-practices-animal-cosmologies

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Mar 21

That's interesting! I'm paying more attention to the Pac Northwest and am excited about what will come of this MOU signed last month www.psc.org/news-announc...

Tribal and First Nations Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony - Pacific Salmon Commission

A signing ceremony was held during the PSC's 40th Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Portland Hotel at the Oregon Convention Center on February 11th, 2025 to

www.psc.org

Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Mar 21

Yes, and I was also astounded that the areas near spawning grounds have more robust redwood trees! On paper, it sounds logical, but it was next level to see in person... The willows and reeds that provide shelter for the eggs, smolts, many-legged animals, the returning salmon...

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Mar 21

Coho salmon smolts diet=70% spiders! Spent last weekend learning about Tomales Bay Watershed thx to @turtleisland-org.bsky.social scientists and volunteers. To strengthen coho salmon spawning grounds, we planted native Calif plants on a river embankment adjacent to an old concrete plant #ecology

California landscape; ungrazen land on left, and grazed hillside on right, divided by a road and a defunct concrete plant.

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Reposted by Lisa Onaga

Dr.MRO/ Axel Folio @isasaxonists.bsky.social · Feb 28

Day 28: St. Maurice

Fan fave & arguably the most well-known Black figure in medieval art, St. Maurice was a 3rd cent. commander of the Theban (s. Egyptian) Roman Legion. There are shrines in honor of him all over Europe. 🧶

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#yarnsky #indiedyedyarn #BHM #handdyedyarn #yarnaddict #yarnlove

Variegated green, brown grey yarn on the left. On the right is a black knight with silver and brown armor.

Variegated green, brown grey yarn. In front of the yarn is a black knight with silver and brown armor.

Variegated green, brown grey yarn on the left. On the right is a pic of a black knight with silver and brown armor.

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Reposted by Lisa Onaga

Data Rescue Project #DataRescue @datarescueproject.org · Feb 12

Our group has been hard at work to release a new tool: The Data Rescue Tracker. The tool aims to provide a consolidated overview of who is downloading which dataset from which government websites. Please share! www.datarescueproject.org/data-rescue-...

The Data Rescue Tracker

We are excited to introduce the Data Rescue Tracker, a collaborative tool built to catalog existing public data rescue efforts so that we can coordinate better across initiatives. At this stage, you c...

www.datarescueproject.org

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Jan 25

Thank you to @roto-rub.bsky.social for hosting me last month! It was great to discuss fantastic and thoughtful questions from a curious bunch of scholars.

Here's wishing the group a Happy Lunar New Year of the Snake🐍! (Not exactly 🐛 but the shedding of skin makes it sort of sympatico?)

ROTO Research Group @roto-rub.bsky.social · Dec 17

A big thanks to @lisaonaga.bsky.social who gave a fascinating talk about sericulture in Japan in our lecture series yesterday! 🐛 Also thank you to everyone who joined the talk and discussion afterwards! See you next year for the next talks 😀
#HPBio #PhilSci

Screenshot from Zoom showing the title slide of the talk by Lisa Onaga, entitled "Cocoon Cultures: The disentangling of silk and biology in Japan", as well as the speaker.

Screenshot from Zoom showing a slide with the life cycle of a silkworm as well as some participants.

Screenshot from Zoom showing participants before the beginning of the talk.

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Jun 12

CFP for "Fabricated Natures: Stories from the Bio-Material Archive" (workshop deadline Jul 15 2024)--please share to folks working on studies of multidisciplinary sciences re: #biomaterials #fibers #textiles #biomimesis #materials #animals #plants #prostheses www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/news/fabrica...

Nylon stockings under a microscope, 2021. Nylon, a polymer created in 1939, had widespread use, particularly and gradually replaced natural materials like silk, catgut, fur, and leather (Quye 2014: 214). Image: Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:Potd/2023-03-27_(pt) https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/news/fabricated-natures-stories-bio-material-archive-deadline-july-15-2024

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Reposted by Lisa Onaga

Sarah J. Jackson @sjjphd.bsky.social · May 5

Cliff notes: Professor Pflugfelder taught at Columbia for 28 yrs. Was just trying to enjoy retirement & bingewatch Shogun. Got interrupted by police who he filmed from his own home/block. Arrested and jailed. One of the may “non students” the cops want us to believe were “outside agitators”

A Columbia professor wanted to document history. NYPD arrested him outside his home

The professor had just finished his last class to end a 28-year teaching career at Columbia University. Then police arrested him outside his home.

www.usatoday.com

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Apr 22

Fantastic to see the hard copy of @isisjournal.bsky.social! The Magnifying Insect Histories Focus reflects on the methodological purchase of thinking about 🪲🐝🐛🦂🦟🐜🦋 for doing history of science. Thank U authors + @dominikhhh.bsky.social & Dear editors: your visions enabled us to reach new heights 🙏

Cover image and table of contents of Isis journal.
March 2024, 115:1
Focus: Magnifying Insect Histories

Introduction: Expanded Perspectives on Tiny Animals as Epistemic Agents, Lisa Onaga and Dominik Huenniger
White Ants: Biotic Borders to Biocultural Frontiers, Jeannie N. Shinozuka and Rohan Deb Roy
Placing Insects in Histories of Science, Diogo de Carvalho Cabral and Frederico Freitas
Zvipukanana: “Tiny Animals with No Bones”, Clapperton Chakanetsa Mavhunga
Ways of Knowing a Former Insect, Leah Lui-Chivizhe and Jude Philp
“Ambivalent Insects” as Tools and Targets, Lisa Onaga and Luísa Reis-Castro
A Collection Ecologies Forum: Reevaluating Insects as Archives, Dominik Huenniger, Karina Lucas Silva-Brandão, Christian Reiß, and Xiaoya Zhan
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/journals/isis/focus

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Reposted by Lisa Onaga

Luísa Reis Castro @anthrobite.bsky.social · Mar 2

The OA essay I co-wrote with @lisaonaga.bsky.social on “Ambivalent Insects” is out in the world @isisjournal.bsky.social!

I’m honored to be part of this focus section on “Magnifying Insect Histories,” with such a stellar group of scholars.

Here: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10....

“Ambivalent Insects” as Tools and Targets

Lisa Onaga and Luísa Reis-Castro

Abstract

The binary categories of harm and benefit have often shaped how historians frame discussions of insects. Scientists also leverage the binary framing of insects as tools and targets to carry out their work, especially in the development of biological technologies for pest control. This essay emphasizes how binaries function in scientific practice. Two case studies spanning from the twentieth century to the recent past illustrate the shift away from chemicals in pest management and, in doing so, show the instability of binary categories over the longue durée. Noticing “ambivalent insects” affords a way to widen narrative options and identify new opportunities for investigating insect histories.

Cover of the ISIS journal, Volume 115, Number 1, March 2024. Drawing of an insect on a tree

Also found here: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/isis/current

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Apr 11

Our "Magnifying Insect Histories" Focus section from the March 2024 issue of the journal Isis was blogged about by Transactions of the IsisCB's Judy Kaplan! Bravo to all of the project authors! Pleased to share this "tiny" mention with everyone! 🐝🦋🐛🪳🪲🪰🐞🕸️🪱 blog.isiscb.org/newsletter/t...

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Reposted by Lisa Onaga

Sabine Clarke @sabineclarke.bsky.social · Jan 23

The History Department at the University of York is excited to launch a new PhD by Practice - a route for anyone with significant experience of public history practice or research in museums, archives, heritage organisations, the media or education.
york.

www.york.ac.uk/history/stud...

PhD in History by Practice - Department of History, University of York

Our PhD in History by Practice is an innovative route for anyone with significant experience of public history practice or research in a range of settings such as in museums, archives, heritage organi...

www.york.ac.uk

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Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Feb 12

The application deadline is 15 Feb! (how on earth did I type "posting"?)

Lisa Onaga @lisaonaga.bsky.social · Feb 12

Sending this out into the big BlueSky ICYMI - The "first research article" writing fellowship @MPIWG is open to predoctoral students enrolled in universities situated in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Posting is 15 Feb! Please spread the word! www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/de/job-posit...

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