The Experimental and Interdisciplinary Reconfiguration of Dense and Rare in the Long Sixteenth-Century

The theme of this workshop is the multidisciplinary research and experimentation on “dense and rare” –the rarefaction and condensation of matter– in the long sixteenth-century. Presenters will discuss work-in-progress towards a journal special issue. Papers will consider cases in which observation and practical experimentation on dense and rare played a major part in investigations, informing and/or complementing philosophical discussions. The workshop will adopt a markedly multidisciplinary perspective, examining examples often connecting quite different areas of experimentation, learning and natural-philosophical reflection.