------------ Forwarded Message begins here ------------
>Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997 16:48:56 +0200
>From: Lillian Isacks <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: S&TS Graduate Student Conference at Cornell
>
>Please feel free to forward--
>
>Dear Fellow Graduate Student:
>
>        The graduate students of Cornell University's Department of Science
>& Technology Studies would like to invite you to a satellite workshop
>entitled, 'Knowledge in Practice,' to be held in conjunction with the
>department's 1997 NSF Workshop, 'Knowledge and its Discontents: Science,
>Expertise, and Modernity.'  The workshop, to be held 2-4 May 1997, will
>draw together many of the architects of the field of Science and Technology
>Studies as well as senior scholars from neighboring disciplines.  While
>taking full advantage of the distinguished group of panelists, we plan to
>hold a forum to address directly issues of interest to graduate students.
>
>        As apprentice 'experts' in disciplines that rattle the very notions
>of genuine or universal expertise, we stand to bring critically-engaged
>perspectives to the discussion.  Our experience as the first generation of
>students to begin their studies within cross-disciplinary fields is unique;
>we may frame our questions about expertise in ways that the founders of
>these new fields would not have considered.  By the same token, we will
>have to negotiate a new sort of expertise for ourselves.  How do we grapple
>with the question of engaging existing institutions both inside and outside
>of academia, given that we were trained outside of traditional disciplines?
>As we consider expert knowledge, how should we view our own expertise as
>interdisciplinary scholars?  We plan to explore these questions in a
>round-table forum, and are soliciting papers in this regard.  As the issues
>to be addressed speak to the concerns of a diverse group of students in a
>variety of fields, we encourage contributions and participation from all
>interested friends.  We are soliciting papers that will help us explore
>these questions.  In addition, we encourage submissions that speak to the
>themes of the main workshop: science, expertise, and modernity. Papers
>might discuss: the negotiation of expertise, a reflexive analysis of
>scholarship in interdisciplinary areas, or the impact of new
>interdisciplinary scholarship on the traditional notions of expertise.
>
>        Please submit 200-word abstracts to the following address by March
>28, 1997.  Limited travel support will be available.
>
>Dan Plafcan, Abstract Coordinator
>Department of Science and Technology Studies
>Graduate Program
>726 University Avenue
>Ithaca, New York 14850-3995
>Phone: 607/255-6234
>Fax: 607/255-0616
>For additional information, please contact Dan Plafcan (607/273-0453;
>[log in to unmask]) or Shobita Parthasarathy (607/266-7961; [log in to unmask])
>
>See you soon!
>Cornell Graduate Students
>
>Lillian Isacks, Graduate Field Assistant
>Dept. of Science & Technology Studies
>Graduate Field Office
>726 University Avenue, Room 205
>Cornell University
>Ithaca, NY  14850
>
>Internet:       [log in to unmask]
>WWW:            http://www.sts.cornell.edu/CU-STS.html
>Telephone:      (607) 255-6234
>Fax:            (607) 255-0616



Christian C. Young
Program in History of Science and Technology
University of Minnesota
[log in to unmask]

"Hallo!" said Piglet, "What are you doing?"
"Hunting," said Pooh.
"Hunting what?"
"Tracking something," said Winnie-the-Pooh very mysteriously.
"Tracking what?" said Piglet, coming closer.
"That's just what I ask myself.  I ask myself, What?"
"What do you think you'll answer?"
"I shall have to wait until I catch up with it," said Winnie-the-Pooh.