معرفی
Joshua Nall is the Director of the Whipple Museum of the History of Science at the University of Cambridge's Department of History and Philosophy of Science, a role he has held since 2022. Previously, he served as Curator of Modern Sciences at the same museum from 2013. His research focuses on the material culture and mass media of the physical sciences, particularly exploring how scientific instruments and media shaped modern astronomy and imperial science. He has curated major exhibitions like Astronomy and Empire (2017) and co-edited influential volumes such as Victorian Material Culture: Science and Medicine (2022).
Nall's 2019 book News from Mars won the Philip J. Pauly Prize, analyzing how mass media influenced 19th-century astronomical debates about potential life on Mars. His work bridges museum curation, historical scholarship, and digital humanities, notably through projects like Tools of Knowledge, which used data analysis to study the British instrument trade. He is also a leading voice in forgery studies, examining counterfeit scientific artifacts.
Key interests include the history of scientific instruments, British imperial astronomy, and the social dimensions of science communication. His collaborative work extends to exhibitions like Craftswomen: Uncovering Hidden Labour in the History of Science, which highlighted overlooked contributions of women in scientific craftsmanship.
