Robert N. Proctor

Professor of History and, by courtesy, of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine)
Ph.D., Harvard University 1984, History of Science
M.S., Harvard University 1977, History of Science
B.S., Indiana University (Bloomington) 1976, Biology

My current work centers around the history of scientific controversy, especially in 20th and 21st century science, technology, and medicine. I also work on the history of scientific rhetoric, tobacco and body history, Nazi science, expert witnessing, evolution and human origins, geology and gemstone aesthetics, and the cultural production of ignorance (agnotology). I am presently working on a book ("Darwin in the History of Life") arguing that the 19th century evolution revolution can be seen as an effort to historicize life. I am also finishing a book on the history of the lapidary art ("Agates Eyes") and a book on changing interpretations of the oldest tools ("The Acheulean Enigma").

Contact

Subfield
Environmental History
Global, Transnational, and International History
Intellectual History
Medicine and Health
Networks
Science and Technology