S5 E3 - Hans-Jörg Rheinberger on 'Epistemic Things'

The HPS Podcast - Conversations from History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science

Today on The HPS Podcast, Thomas Spiteri talks with Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, distinguished historian and philosopher of science and Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. Trained first in philosophy and then in molecular biology, Rheinberger is well-recognised for his work on the history and epistemology of experimentation. His influential work, including concepts like “experimental systems” and “epistemic things,” has helped shape how we understand the material, conceptual, and historical dimensions of scientific research.

In this episode, Rheinberger:

• Describes his path from philosophy to molecular biologist, and how time at the lab bench informed his understanding science
• Explains what “experimental systems” are—carefully arranged environments where scientists interact with both the unknown and the tools that make inquiry possible
• Defines “epistemic things,” the phenomena that underpin scientific curiosity, and “technical objects,” the stable tools and methods that emerge from research over time
• Illustrates these ideas with vivid case examples, from solving the genetic code with synthetic RNA to the invention and evolution of the electron microscope
• Reflects on the impact of new technologies, automation, and digital visualisation, and what persists — and changes — about experimentation in the contemporary lab

Relevant Links

• Hans-Jörg Rheinberger profile – Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
• Split and Splice: A Phenomenology of Experimentation ( University of Chicago Press), 2023
• Epistemology of the Concrete: On Historicizing Epistemology (Duke University Press), 2010
• Toward a History of Epistemic Things (Harvard University Press), 1997

Transcript coming soon

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This podcast would not be possible without the support of School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne and the Hansen Little Public Humanities Grant scheme.

Music by ComaStudio.
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