We’re Back – To Make it Count.

It’s been a while…

…but worry not: I’m well and all my limbs are still attached.

Since my last sign of life as a blogger, my time has been swallowed up by never-ending work on my book and various articles, along with research-intensive job applications and grant proposals. I covered as Director of Studies in History and Philosophy of Science at Churchill College and had minor other teaching commitments. I continued giving conference papers and public lectures, went on an another archival trip to various collections in the United States, and did a thorough finishing sweep of the vast SPR archives and related holdings at Cambridge during the final year of my research fellowship.

Yes, I briefly lost the will to live after Brexit and Trump happened. And my overall joy of life didn’t exactly reach ecstatic heights after my applications for lectureships and new research fellowships yielded but one interview, and zero jobs (no, a Wellcome Trust studentship, robust publication record, book contract, dissertation prize and Oxbridge fellowship do not magically materialize jobs). The one thing that had me extremely chuffed last year, however, was winning a prize from the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPST) for my 2013 doctoral thesis. The prize is awarded every four years to a handful of early career scholars, and it included a trip to a big international history of science conference in beautiful Rio de Janeiro in July, where I received it. (In case you’re wondering: Yes, I was ultra excited to finally visit the land of mediums and spirits, but no – sadly I didn’t meet any).

‘Forbidden Histories TV’ – well, almost.

Some way or another I will continue doing what I enjoy most: study the hidden unorthodox underbelly of modern sciences, and try to understand why so many members of scientific and intellectual elites have seriously researched and (perhaps more often than not) embraced rather than dismissed ‘occult’ phenomena. And I have come to realize that in this new age of ‘alternative facts’ and systematic misinformation the terrain of Forbidden Histories is a rich one on which to practise, and not least to teach, critical and differentiating thinking skills. So I want to place a greater emphasis on outreach and public engagement than before.

The Forbidden Histories blog will be a natural platform and integral part as it continues to feature tidbits from my own studies along with guest posts by colleagues. There’s already a growing list of new guest authors, which I’m rather excited about. So please stay tuned, and if you appreciate what we do please also encourage friends, colleagues and others you think might be interested to visit and subscribe to this blog, and to like and follow Forbidden Histories on Facebook and Twitter (ah yes, and we’re now also on Instagram).

Rather than merely revive this blog, however, I am trying something completely new: a Forbidden Histories Youtube channel, which will feature bite-sized and fun lessons from the hidden annals of science and the supposedly ‘supernatural’. These will include some of the topics highlighted in this short teaser video, as well as material I taught at Cambridge.

Please go ahead and have a look – if you want to support the new project please click ‘Subscribe’, and don’t forget to nudge potential audiences to do so as well. This will have an impact on the channel’s visibility to other Youtubers, which is important because as with any controversial topic it is quite hard to reach an audience that will not just scoop up anything that confirms their prior beliefs or disbeliefs, but values balanced approaches to disputed issues.

Please also leave comments and questions – here on the blog and any of the other social media platforms –, as I would love Forbidden Histories to be an interactive project. Never be shy to post feedback of any kind, suggest possible topics for blog posts and video episodes, or just say hello.

Andreas Sommer

Help us Promote Historical Literacy!