CALL FOR PAPERS

IMAGING AND IMAGINING NANOSCIENCE & ENGINEERING

An International and Interdisciplinary Conference at the
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, March 4-7, 2004
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This Conference will explore theoretical, pictorial and textual
representations of nanoscale science and engineering (NSE) from
cross-disciplinary perspectives, including microscopy, molecular
modeling, scientific illustration, philosophy, science studies, art
theory, and literature studies.

With new imaging techniques, such as STM and AFM, the rapid emergence of
NSE is inherently linked to visual representations. In various
disciplines, computer-generated pictures of nanoscale objects have
become standard means of communication. The public's perception of NSE
is influenced by high-gloss popular science images of the nanoscale. New
art forms also depict a nanoscale world.

The Conference aims at a better understanding of the epistemological
dimensions of modeling and picture-generating instrumentation; the
semiotic dimensions of pictorial representations; the linguistic
dimension of images in interdisciplinary discourse; the pragmatic
dimension of image usage in different cultural contexts and for
different purposes; and the aesthetic dimensions of visualization.

>From Stanislaw Lem to Michael Crichton, from Richard Feynman to Eric
Drexler, the feasibilities, benefits, and risks of NSE have engaged our
imaginations before research gained access to the nanoscale. Unlike any
other research field, NSE is now imbued by a large array of visionary
literature, including futurology, techno-visions, science policy
reports, science fiction, and investor guides. Movies and the visual
arts have enlarged the extent to which the public imagination of NSE has
become dominated by these visionary images. The Conference also aims to
understand the diversity of this literature and its impact on the
imagination of scientists, science managers and policy makers, science
journalists, science teachers, and the public at large.

Please send an abstract of 500 words in MS Word by December 1, 2003 to
Conny Chen <[log in to unmask]>.

Please send inquiries to members of
The Program Committee:

- Davis Baird, Philosophy <[log in to unmask]>
- Otávio Bueno, Philosophy <[log in to unmask]>
- Steven Lynn, English <[log in to unmask]>
- Richard Ray, Engineering <[log in to unmask]>
- Chris Robinson, Art <[log in to unmask]>
- Joachim Schummer, Philosophy <[log in to unmask]>

For more information, please visit the conference website
        http://www.cla.sc.edu/cpecs/nirt/events/conf04/index.html

The conference is sponsored by
- National Science Foundation
- USC College of Liberal Arts
- USC NanoCenter


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Dr. Joachim Schummer
[log in to unmask]

Editor, HYLE: International Journal for Philosophy of Chemistry
http://www.hyle.org/
[log in to unmask]
Fax: +49-69-791235861

Institute of Philosophy, University of Karlsruhe
D-76128 Karlsruhe, GERMANY

Department of Philosophy, University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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