New Books in Science, Technology, and Society

In Gems and the New Science: Matter and Value in the Scientific Revolution (U Chicago Press, 2026), Dr. Michael Bycroft argues that gems were connected to major developments in the “new science” between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. As he explains, precious and semiprecious stones were at the center of dramatic shifts in natural knowledge in early modern Europe. They were used to investigate luminescence, electricity, combustion, chemical composition, and more. They were collected by naturalists; measured by mathematicians; and rubbed, burned, and dissolved by experimental philosophers. This led to the demise of the traditional way of classifying gems—which grouped them by transparency, color, and locality—and the turn to density, refraction, chemistry, and crystallography as more reliable guides for sorting these substances. The science of gems shows that material evaluation was as important as material production in the history of science. It also shows the value of seeing science as the product of the interaction between different material worlds. The book begins by bringing these insights to bear on five themes of the Scientific Revolution. Each of the subsequent chapters deals with a major episode in early modern science, from the expansion of natural history in the sixteenth century to the emergence of applied science early in the nineteenth century. This important work is not only the first book-length history of the science of gems but also a fresh interpretation of the Scientific Revolution and an argument for using a new form of materialism to understand the evolution of science. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

We are glad to talk to Britt Paris about her book Radical Infrastructure: Imagining the Internet from the Ground Up (U California Press, 2025).  This book asks: What if we could start over and build the Internet from scratch? For more than eight years, Britt S. Paris investigated alternative Internet infrastructure projects, conducting interviews, site visits, and policy analysis. In this expansive and interdisciplinary study, Paris critically examines  how people and groups imagine,  build, deploy, maintain, and use the Internet as they survive—and even dare to thrive—in challenging political, economic, and environmental contexts. The book is available (to download for free!) here. Your host is Megan Finn, Associate Professor at American University and Affiliate Associate Professor at University of Washington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Christiane Tristl, an economic geographer studying digital tech and the marketisation of water, discusses how private-sector digital systems reshape water access in Kenya. She traces a water dispenser story, critiques Northern-designed technologies for Southern contexts, explores dashboards and data blindspots, and considers alternatives like cooperatives and degrowth approaches.

Rebecca Sharpless, a history professor at Texas Christian University who studies Texas social and agricultural history, discusses North Texas as a once-thriving wheat belt. She narrates how cultivation, mechanization, mills, and bakeries shaped towns and daily life. Topics include prairie breaking, milling and storage technologies, baking innovations, railroads, and the rise and decline of regional wheat industries.

Patrick Chung, assistant professor of history at UMD and author of Standardizing Empire, explores how the U.S. military reshaped Korea’s economy and drove the rise of military-industrial capitalism. He recounts the Han River Bridge story, explains logistics and procurement standards, traces Hanjin and other companies’ ties to military demand, and discusses labor, deindustrialization, and global infrastructure.

Amelia Acker, Associate Professor at Rutgers and author of Archiving Machines, traces data archiving from punch cards and magnetic tape to cloud platforms. She talks about the politics of data aggregation, the shift from federal to private control, the evolution of files and PDAs into app ecosystems, and how agents and AI reshape archival practices.

Jieun Kiaer, Professor of Korean linguistics at Oxford who studies digital communication, explains 'emoji speak' and why emojis vary globally. She discusses how emojis are created and adopted, Unicode and representation limits, cross-cultural misinterpretations, legal stakes, age and hierarchy effects, and where emoji-driven communication may lead next.

Miguel Sicart, professor and head of the Center for Digital Play, studies digital play and game studies. He explores how play shapes our relationship with software and vice versa. The conversation covers play as a cultural force, playfulness in AI and platforms, gamification as exploitation, and rethinking play theories for the computational age.

Miguel Sicart, a professor studying play, game studies, and design, and head of the Center for Digital Play. He explores how playing with software shapes both human and software agency. He discusses make-believe, cybernetic approaches to digital play, generative AI examples, and how play can be weaponized by platforms and capitalism.

Honghong Tinn, Assistant Professor and author of Island Tinkerers, traces Taiwan’s rise from hobbyist tinkering to chip powerhouse. She recounts hands-on PC and mainframe projects, factory-floor improvisation, women workers’ skilled assembly, and how firms like Acer and TSMC grew from local experimentation. Short vignettes highlight university labs, multinationals, and the birth of the foundry model.