Mark Young

Mark Young is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo. His research focuses on Philosophy of Technology (maintenance practices and automating technologies) and History and Philosophy of Science (early modern instruments, craft practices, and tacit knowledge). He holds a Marie Slodowska-Curie Action Individual Fellowship (2020-2024) for the project ‘How Artifacts Acquire Agency’ hosted by the University of Vienna. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Technical University of Delft (2020–2021).

Research Highlights: His work bridges philosophical analysis with historical case studies, emphasizing the interplay between technology, human agency, and scientific practices. Key contributions include studies on tacit knowledge in engineering design and the role of wonder in early modern scientific instruments.

Awards:

• SPT Early Career Award (2021) for ‘How Artifacts Acquire Agency’
• Charles Schmitt Prize (2017) for ‘Enchanting Automata: Wilkins and the Wonder of Workmanship’

Current project participation includes the Designing with/out Extractive Materials (deXmat) initiative.