The aim of this paper is to provide a contribution to the historiographic agenda regarding the idea of the circulation of knowledge, the Global History of Knowledge and the debate surrounding scientific 'centres' and 'peripheries' (1, 2). We examine the University of Coimbra Laboratory of Experimental Phonetics (1936-72), traditionally regarded as ‘peripheral’ space, but which nevertheless attracted scientists from all over Europe, the USA, Brazil and Africa seeking specialist training. This phenomenon contributed to the development of teaching and research at other 'peripheral' laboratory spaces (for example, the University of Bahia) and at 'central' scientific institutions (for example, Harvard University). With the growing trend in historiography for the recognition of 'invisible technicians' (3) and 'outsiders' (4) in the production and circulation of knowledge, there is a need for surveying the work of this Portuguese laboratory, whose director, Armando de Lacerda, created new research tools in the field of Experimental Phonetics which were appropriated by institutions and scientists on both sides of the Atlantic. 1) James A. Secord, 'Knowledge in Transit', Isis (2004) 95, pp. 654-672. 2) Mark Thurner, ‘Historical Theory Through a Peruvian Looking Glass’, History and Theory (2015) 53, pp. 27-45. 3) Steven Shapin, 'The Invisible Technician', American Scientist (1989) 77, pp. 554-563. 4) Richard Drayton and David Motadel, ‘Discussion: the futures of global history’, Journal of Global History (2018) 13, pp. 1-21.

Focusing on the case of Greece, this paper examines the way nuclear science was introduced to developing countries during the 1950s as part of Cold War political processes. Through the Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” program and before the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United States sought to maintain and expand its post-war hegemonic position, restructuring Europe as a bulwark against the perceived Soviet threat. The proliferation of nuclear physics and technology, especially in the developing and contested political regions was an effective instrument of soft power to this end. In the case of Greece, the installation of the country’s first research reactor and the establishment of the nuclear center Demokritos, was a complex diplomatic affair between two unequal countries in terms of their diplomatic armamentarium. On the one hand, the United States had a well structured diplomatic activity and developed scientific capital. On the other hand, Greece was just getting out of a fierce civil war having little scientific activity and complex diplomatic practices. Thus, the process of developing the Greek nuclear program emerged as an idiosyncratic practice of science diplomacy. Significant milestones such as the Greece-US bilateral agreement or the choice of the most appropriate nuclear reactor for the newly established center were determined by individuals who took up the role of science diplomats. I argue that these individuals constituted a special kind of science diplomat who, while being neither scientists nor diplomats, acted as such determining in a decisive way the country’s scientific development.

The history of Atmospheric- and Earth System Sciences (ESS) in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is a desideratum in the history of sciences, compared to developments in other countries, especially the USA (i.e. Oreskes and Conway 2010, Weart 2008, Fleming 2005). Both the establishment of new integrative approaches in German atmospheric research and the history of ESS as a whole are inextricably linked to the Max Planck Society (Lax 2018). The talk examines the role of the MPG in the history of ESS on both the national and international level, focusing on acteurs, institutions, networks and research approaches. Central pillars of this process were e.g. the establishment of a department for atmospheric chemistry at the MPI for Chemistry in Mainz in 1968, under the leadership of meteorologist Christian Junge, the founding of the MPI for Meteorology in Hamburg 1975, and finally the MPI for Biogeochemistry in Jena in 1996/1997. Compared to developments e.g. in the USA or Sweden, integrative research approaches in German atmospheric sciences were established with a ten year delay by Junge in the late 1960's. 20 years later Germany was one of the global leaders in atmospheric sciences and ESS. Junge and other MPG-acteurs like Paul Crutzen (nobel laureate for chemistry, and originator of the anthropocene-thesis), Klaus Hasselmann (director of the Max Planck Institute for Meterology and the German Climate Computing Center) and Hartmut Graßl (amongst others WCRP director), built an extensive ESS-network on the national and international ESS community.