Are There Scientific Revolutionaries? Scientific, Historical, and Philosophical Perspectives on the Problematic Concept of Revolution in the Sciences
Workshop
Organizer: Ute Deichmann
Short description and program
The workshop aims at inquiring into the nature of scientific discoveries traditionally called “revolutionary,” and at examining whether they are truly disruptive or also exhibit continuities with established knowledge. The workshop brings together scientists from physics, chemistry, biology, and scholars of history and philosophy of science to analyze past and present cases of major scientific transformations. Participants evaluate how philosophical ideas—by Kuhn, Polanyi, Popper and others— have influenced the perception of scientific change and discuss the extent to which "revolutionary scientists” were, and are, in fact "conservative revolutionaries."
This is an in-person event, but you can join on Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81224129667?pwd=gYKSaMN6ldITaJ1PNb3rp1YUsnJvpS.1
Meeting ID: 812 2412 9667
Passcode: 370847
Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Senate Building (71), W.A. Minkoff Senate Hall
9:30-10:00
Refreshments
10:00-10:15
Greetings and Opening Remarks
Prof. Raz Jelinek, Vice President and Dean for Research and Development, BGU
Prof. Gabriel Lemcoff, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, BGU
Prof. Ute Deichmann, Director of the Jacques Loeb Centre for the History and Philosophy of Science, BGU
I. Revolutions, Revolutionaries, and Thomas Kuhn
Chair: Ofer Ovadia
10:15-10:55
Ron Folman, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel: Revolutions vs. revolutionaries
10:55-11:35
Yemima Ben-Menahem, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel: The Revo-Devo debate in the history and philosophy of science
11:35-12:00 Coffee break
II. Reluctant Revolutionaries in Physics
Chair: Sebastian Kozuch
12:00-12:40
Dieter Hoffmann, Fritz-Haber-Institut, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Germany: Max Planck (1858-1947): Revolutionary against his will
12:40-13:20
Bretislav Friedrich, Fritz-Haber-Institut, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Germany: Otto Stern – An involuntary convert to Quantum Theory
13:20-14:25 Lunch break
III. Conservative Revolutions in Gene Regulation and Beyond
Chair: Ofer Ovadia
14:25 – 15:05
Ute Deichmann, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel: Contradicting Kuhn's notion of scientific revolution: Conservative revolutionaries and goal orientation of scientists, as exemplified by molecular systems biologist Eric Davidson (1937-2015)
15:05 – 15:45
Ellen Rothenberg (on Zoom), California Institute of Technology, U.S.A.: Paradigm shifts in molecular biology and immunology: witnessing non-Kuhnian transformations
15:45-16:15 Coffee break
16:15 – 16:55
Ramon Birnbaum, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, Revolutions in gene regulation: Paradigm shifts or conservative transformations?
16:55-17:35
Anat Ben-Zvi, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel: The exceptions to the central dogma of biology - bending the rules and extending the scope
17:35-18:15
Roy Kishony, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel: Predicting antibiotic resistance
19:30
Musical Interlude
Dinner for invited speakers and guests
Thursday, 11 December
Alon Building for Hi-Tech (37), Auditorium 202
IV. Revolutionary Developments in Genetics, Epigenetics, and Genomics
Chair: Ramon Birnbaum
9:30-10:10
Stanislav Y. Shvartsman (on Zoom), Princeton University, U.S.A.: Back to the future of systems genetics
10:10-10:50
Bernhard Horsthemke (on Zoom), University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany: Epigenetics: innovations and misconceptions
10:50-11:30
Stavros Lomvardas, Columbia University, U.S.A.: Interchromosomal genomic interactions: from transvection to olfaction
11:30-11:50 Coffee break
V. Conceptual Revolutions in Evolutionary Biology, and a Popperian Analysis
Chair: Noa Sophie Kohler
11:50-12:30
Ariel Chipman, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel: Are technological advances in the Life Sciences driving a conceptual revolution in Evolutionary Biology?
12:30 -13:10
Alan Templeton, Washington University in St. Louis, U.S.A.: The failure of a paradigm shift in human evolution even after repeated falsifications of the old paradigm through Popperian hypothesis testing
13:10-14:00 Lunch break
VI. The Ongoing Revolution in Chemistry and Geology
Chair: Ute Deichmann
14:00-14:40
Anthony Travis, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel: The 40-year revolution in chemistry: Electronic instrumentation
14:40-15:20
Jeff Seeman, University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A: A proposed definition of “revolutions in science” and the assessment of six 20th century candidates. The Nobel prizes in chemistry as indicators of revolution in chemistry
15:20-16:00
Sebastian Kozuch, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel: How long is the coast of chemistry?
16:00-16:10 Coffee break
16:10-16:50
Douglas Erwin (on Zoom), Santa Fe Institute, U.S.A.: Plate tectonics and the rebirth of catastrophism: Geological revolutions in the 20th century
16:50
Ute Deichmann: Concluding remarks
