Darin Hayton

Darin Hayton is an Associate Professor of History at Haverford College, specializing in the history of the sciences of the stars and mathematical sciences in pre-modern Europe and Byzantium. His research examines the intersection of science, politics, and courtly culture.

Education:

• Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of Science, University of Notre Dame
• M.A. in History, C.S.U. Long Beach
• B.Sc. in Chemistry, C.S.U. Long Beach

Research Interests: Professor Hayton investigates how rulers like Emperor Maximilian I employed astrology as a political tool and how Byzantine scholars like Nikephorus Gregoras revived mathematical sciences in Constantinople. His work also explores the cultural and pedagogical dimensions of astrology, astrolabes, and early scientific instruments.

Teaching: He offers courses such as Introduction to the History of Science, History of the Scientific Revolution, and Science of the Stars before the Telescope, blending mathematical astronomy with cultural contexts.

Key Publications:

• The Crown and the Cosmos. Astrology and the Politics of Maximilian I (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015)
• Recent articles on Byzantine astrolabes, comets in Renaissance Hungary, and astrology in 1970s counterculture.

Affiliations: Member of the Editorial Board for Lever Press, an open-access scholarly press.