Author | Lightnews

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · 4h

The Othmer Library is celebrating #Halloween 🎃! When our electric pencil sharpener broke, staff replaced it with a Mitsubishi KH-20 manual sharpener, which became a hit! Jahna Auerbach, our digital collections librarian, dressed up as the sharpener for Halloween, and the results are fantastic!

1 3

Reposted by Science History Institute

samkean.bsky.social @samkean.bsky.social · 2d

The eagle that made John James Audubon famous—the Bird of Washington—was a fraud. In fact, historians now know that much of Audubon’s legendary life was built on lies. Episode below!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

@sciencehistory.org sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

1 1

Reposted by Science History Institute

explorationblog.bsky.social @explorationblog.bsky.social · 4d

Claire Sabel discusses the gem trade in SE Asia & the way it was impacted by European traders 17-18c @uchicagopress.bsky.social
@scarcerc.bsky.social
@harunkucuk.bsky.social
@univie.ac.at
@nhmwien.bsky.social
@sciencehistory.org
@historyscience.bsky.social timetoeatthedogs.com/2025/10/27/g...

Gems, Science, and Empire

17th century traders who traveled the sea routes between India and Southeast Asia were interested in spices, but they were also interested in gemstones, objects of desire, commercial value, and inc…

timetoeatthedogs.com

2 4

Reposted by Science History Institute

jayson m porter @roguechieftan.bsky.social · 15d

Check out my new environmental history of diaspora and empire through mules with @sciencehistory.org
www.sciencehistory.org/stories/maga...

Mule Power

Unpacking empires and diaspora in Mexico and the United States.

www.sciencehistory.org

2 8

Reposted by Science History Institute

Charlotte Abney @abney.bsky.social · 14d

Absolutely delighted to announce that applications are now open for our 26-27 postdoc, dissertation, distinguished, and short-term fellowships at @sciencehistory.org! 📚 🎉

Details and application info on our website; questions welcome here!

www.sciencehistory.org/about/news/a...

Applications for 2026–2027 Beckman Center Fellowships Now Open

Researchers can apply by January 15 for various long- and short-term programs, including two-year curatorial fellowships.

www.sciencehistory.org

5 6

Reposted by Science History Institute

samkean.bsky.social @samkean.bsky.social · 16d

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor bizarre research that makes you laugh, then think—like this levitating frog. Some scientists despise them. But they benefit science in surprising ways. Episode below!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

@scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

1 3

Reposted by Science History Institute

samkean.bsky.social @samkean.bsky.social · 24d

It's Nobel Prize week. Winning a Nobel is good—mostly. But laureates often go kooky and promote bizarre things like ESP, AIDS denialism, and worse. Psychologists now understand why. New podcast season starts today!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

@scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

1 2

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Sep 24

Older than most trees and survivors of 5 mass extinctions, horseshoe crabs now face threats from humans. While blue blood has been used to test medicine for decades, will new tech finally set them free? Find out more in our latest Distillations story, written by @jenniferweeks83.bsky.social ⬇️

Something Old, Something New

Humans owe a huge medical debt to horseshoe crabs. Now there’s an opportunity to pay it back.

www.sciencehistory.org

1

Reposted by Science History Institute

Science Magazine @science.org · Sep 16

A storied trove of documents, photos, and lab tools from the race to decipher DNA’s structure and function is finally being made public. https://scim.ag/47GNqze

After bizarre journey, prized history of molecular biology archive finds new home

Science History Institute makes public multimillion-dollar collection, including Rosalind Franklin’s famous DNA image, assembled by fake scientist

scim.ag

1 23 66

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Sep 16

Check out our feature in @science.org ⬇️
After bizarre journey, prized history of molecular biology archive finds new home | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

After bizarre journey, prized history of molecular biology archive finds new home

Science History Institute makes public multimillion-dollar collection, including Rosalind Franklin’s famous DNA image, assembled by fake scientist

www.science.org

2

Reposted by Science History Institute

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · Sep 12

Science historians have a new resource they can tap to better understand the early days of molecular biology. The nonprofit @sciencehistory.org this week added the History of Molecular Biology Collection to its library of materials. cen.acs.org/biological-c... #chemsky 🧪

Science History Institute library acquires original Rosalind Franklin materials and other artifacts

The library’s History of Molecular Biology Collection includes written materials, X-ray prints, and photos related to the discovery of DNA

cen.acs.org

3 9

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Sep 11

Sounds good to us! ✈️

1

Reposted by Science History Institute

J. Craig Venter Institute @jcvi.org · Sep 9

We are thrilled to announce that the @sciencehistory.org has acquired our incredible History of Microbiology Collection that we have proudly preserved for over 20 years. We couldn’t think of a better organization to pass this important collection to.

www.sciencehistory.org/about/press/...

Science History Institute Acquires Molecular Biology Archive That Includes Rosalind Franklin’s Historic ‘Photo 51’

This unparalleled collection documents the race to identify DNA’s double-helix structure and other significant developments that formed the foundation of molecular biology.

www.sciencehistory.org

1 3 7

Reposted by Science History Institute

Dr Surekha Davies, Historical Monster Consultant (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · Sep 9

"It's up to us whether to worry about whether we're monsters or to celebrate uniqueness. And in the monster there is beauty."

I got to chat with host Alexis Pedrick in the studio for the Distillations podcast at @sciencehistory.org. Listen now:

💙📚 🧪 🗃 #medieval #earlymodern #histsci #histmed #HAMH

Humans and Monsters: An Interview with Surekha Davies

A conversation with the author of 'Humans: A Monstrous History.'

www.sciencehistory.org

1 12 20

Reposted by Science History Institute

Ben Gross @bhgross144.bsky.social · Sep 8

Exciting news from my colleagues @sciencehistory.org! This archive documents the early history of #MolecularBiology & efforts to determine the structure of #DNA.

@matthewcobb.bsky.social provides an overview of its contents & significance in the thread below.

#histSTM #histsci #histbio #Molbio 🗃️📜🧬

Matthew Cobb @matthewcobb.bsky.social · Sep 8

News in the history of molecular biology. The Science History Institute in Philadelphia has acquired a huge archive of correspondence and other scientific material from the pioneers of molecular biology (Franklin, Klug, Perutz, Delbrück etc, with items from Crick and Watson, too). 1/n

History of Molecular Biology Collection

This unparalleled collection includes Rosalind Franklin's historic 'Photo 51,' which revealed the double-helix structure of DNA.

www.sciencehistory.org

1 15 26

Reposted by Science History Institute

Matthew Cobb @matthewcobb.bsky.social · Sep 8

News in the history of molecular biology. The Science History Institute in Philadelphia has acquired a huge archive of correspondence and other scientific material from the pioneers of molecular biology (Franklin, Klug, Perutz, Delbrück etc, with items from Crick and Watson, too). 1/n

History of Molecular Biology Collection

This unparalleled collection includes Rosalind Franklin's historic 'Photo 51,' which revealed the double-helix structure of DNA.

www.sciencehistory.org

6 94 200

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Sep 8

The Institute will unveil a new exhibition in fall 2027, coinciding with the anniversary of Photo 51, and offering the general public a chance to view highlights from the collection. To read the full press release and to explore the newly digitized collection, visit sciencehistory.org/hmbc.

History of Molecular Biology Collection

This unparalleled collection includes Rosalind Franklin's historic 'Photo 51,' which revealed the double-helix structure of DNA.

sciencehistory.org

1

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Sep 8

"We’re also actively digitizing the materials from the collection to provide free global access through our website,” said Michelle DiMeo, vice president of collections and programs and the Arnold Thackray Director of the Othmer Library.

Les Prix Nobel en 1962: On the Genetic Code by F. H. C. Crick, cover of Francis Crick’s 1962 Nobel Prize lecture. Courtesy of Science History Institute.

Handwritten note from Maurice Wilkins giving access to Aaron Klug at King’s College London’s Biophysics Research Unit, 1956. Courtesy of Science History Institute.

1 2

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Sep 8

A glass jar called a “desiccator” that removes moisture and humidity, and other historic artifacts used in Franklin and Gosling’s DNA experiments are also part of the collection.

Rosalind Franklin’s vacuum desiccator, after 1940–before 1958. Courtesy of Science History Institute. Desiccant crystals remain in the bottom lobe of the device. A valve on the side of the upper lobe allows a vacuum to be attached.

1

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Sep 8

In this collection: Franklin’s own copy of Photo 51, the groundbreaking image used to reveal DNA’s structure. Taken in 1952 by Franklin and her PhD student, Raymond Gosling, Photo 51 displayed the X-ray diffraction pattern of DNA and provided the clearest evidence that DNA is in fact a double helix.

$DNA X-ray Diffraction Image Known as Photo 51, annotated by Rosalind Franklin and Aaron Klug, ca. 1953. Courtesy of Science History Institute.$ Back of Photo 51, with handwritten annotations by Rosalind Franklin and Aaron Klug, ca. 1953. Courtesy of Science History Institute.

Back of Photo 51, with handwritten annotations by Rosalind Franklin and Aaron Klug, ca. 1953. Courtesy of Science History Institute.

1 1

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Sep 8

The History of Molecular Biology Collection includes the papers of Nobel laureates Aaron Klug and Max Perutz, plus unique materials from other Nobelists and celebrated scientists, including Rosalind Franklin, Francis Crick, James Watson, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling.

Photo of Rosalind Franklin on vacation in Italy, 1950. Courtesy of Science History Institute.

1

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Sep 8

*NEWS* @sciencehistory.org has acquired the History of Molecular Biology Collection from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). This unparalleled collection documents the race to identify DNA’s double-helix structure and other significant developments that formed the foundation of molecular biology.

Science History Institute Acquires Molecular Biology Archive That Includes Rosalind Franklin’s Historic ‘Photo 51’

This unparalleled collection documents the race to identify DNA’s double-helix structure and other significant developments that formed the foundation of molecular biology.

www.sciencehistory.org

1 4 9

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Aug 18

🎉 On October 8, join us for A Marvelous Night of Minerals: An Earthly Matters Opening Celebration! Celebrate our new exhibition, Earthly Matters, with light bites, curator talks, rare books, mineral specimens, and more! This event FREE, but registration is required. www.sciencehistory.org/opening

A Marvelous Night of Minerals: An 'Earthly Matters' Opening Celebration

Celebrate the opening of our new permanent exhibition featuring a collection of more than 20 minerals.

www.sciencehistory.org

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Aug 12

🎙️NEW DISTILLATIONS PODCAST EPISODE🎙️⁠
⁠
Producer Mariel Carr talks to science historian Luis Campos about his article “Strains of Andromeda,” and discusses how Michael Crichton’s novel and film shaped 1970s debates on recombinant DNA research. ⬇️

The Andromeda Strain: An Interview with Luis Campos

In 1971, a film based on Michael Crichton’s book brought out biohazard fears to the fore.

www.sciencehistory.org

3

Science History Institute @sciencehistory.org · Aug 5

🚨🎙️ #Distillations Podcast is back with new episodes dropping weekly!⁠ In the latest episode, join us as we dive deep into the controversial origins of genetic engineering research.⁠
⬇️⬇️⬇️
www.sciencehistory.org/stories/dist...

The People vs. Recombinant DNA

In 1976, one small city nearly brought cutting-edge science to a halt.

www.sciencehistory.org

2