Fa-ti Fan

Fa-ti Fan is a Lecturer in the History of Science at Binghamton University, State University of New York, with concurrent research involvement in Department III ('Knowledge Systems and Collective Life') at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. Their work bridges transnational scientific history and Chinese studies.

• Teaching: History of Science, Modern Chinese History
• Key research areas: Global science dynamics, imperial knowledge systems, material culture approaches

Their current research portfolio includes: (1) Analysis of China's 1960s-1980s earthquake prediction initiatives under the 'Collective Monitoring, Collective Defense' framework, (2) Investigations into marine animal knowledge systems in late imperial China, and (3) Collaborative work on sensory history methodologies for modern China. These projects demonstrate a material culture focus that aligns with the Institute's 'Artifacts, Action, Knowledge' research cluster.

Through Department III's 'Common Knowledge and Its Sources in the Sinosphere' initiative, they contribute to debates about knowledge circulation in East Asia. Their April 2017 colloquium presentation on bio-sentinels in earthquake prediction represents a novel intersection of environmental history and scientific epistemology.

While no formal awards or student lists appear in the provided materials, their participation in multiple cross-departmental working groups—including the Animal Reading Group and sensory history collaborations—positions them at the intersection of several key research networks at the Max Planck Institute.