Laboratory for the History of Science and Technology

The Laboratory for the History of Science and Technology (LHST) at EPFL was founded in 2019. As a team, we strive to understand the transformations of science and technology in their historical, cultural, and social contexts. Although our work deals mostly with the past, from the seventeenth century onwards, we share a deep interest in contemporary developments in science and technology, and we are eager to collaborate with scientists and engineers, as well as with sociologists and anthropologists, to understand how science and technology shapes and is shaped by our world, today.

Of special interest to us are the role of images and visual thinking in science and technology, the history of the digital and of computer science, and the relations between science and technology. In our research and our teaching, we enjoy experimenting with new methods and tools coming from the digital humanities or other fields.

Lastly, the Laboratory curates the Collection of scientific instruments of the University of Lausanne (UNIL), made up of approximately 1,000 artifacts that reflect more than two centuries of scientific research and teaching in the Lausanne region.