BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Rome BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20241027T020000 RDATE:20250330T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CET END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251026T020000 RDATE:20260329T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CET END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20261025T020000 RDATE:20270328T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CET END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20271031T020000 RDATE:20280326T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CET END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20281029T020000 RDATE:20290325T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CET END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20291028T020000 RDATE:20300331T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CET END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20301027T020000 RDATE:20310330T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CET END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20311026T020000 RDATE:20320328T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CET END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20240331T090000 RDATE:20241027T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CEST END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250330T030000 RDATE:20251026T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CEST END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260329T030000 RDATE:20261025T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CEST END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20270328T030000 RDATE:20271031T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CEST END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20280326T030000 RDATE:20281029T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CEST END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20290325T030000 RDATE:20291028T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CEST END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20300331T030000 RDATE:20301027T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CEST END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20310330T030000 RDATE:20311026T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:Europe/Rome CEST END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:17fc145bd00442a747fcea6411b6ab5c CATEGORIES:Call for papers CREATED:20250401T162752 SUMMARY:Call for Abtracts: Workshop "Scaling the Cosmos" LOCATION:Museo Galileo DESCRIPTION:Scaling the Cosmos in the Modern Era: Images, Tools, and Instruments\nLocat ion: Museo Galileo, Florence\nDate: November 19–21, 2025\nOrganizers: Flori an Métral (CNRS/Centre André-Chastel) and Maddalena Napolitani (Museo Galil eo)\n—-----------------------------\nWorkshop Call for Papers\n—----------- ------------------\n\nConference Context\nThe Scaling the Cosmos conference aims to examine the evolution of human understanding and representation of the cosmos through images, tools, and instruments during the Early Modern era (15-18th centuries), and also opening the perspectives up to the presen t days. This interdisciplinary event will bring together perspectives from Art History, the History of Science, and Astrophysical Sciences, encouragin g a dynamic dialogue between these disciplines. Hosted at the Museo Galileo in Florence, November 19–21, 2025, it is part of the project Celestial Spe ctacles / Cosmospectio, led by Florian Métral at the CNRS/Centre André-Chas tel (Paris), and draws on the Museo Galileo’s recent exhibitions, Ore Itali ane (2023) and Splendori Celesti (2023–2024). The event also marks the 400t h anniversary of Giovanni Domenico Cassini’s birth (1625–1712) and contribu tes to the centennial celebrations of the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza - Museo Galileo in Florence.\n\n\nThe Concept of Scaling\nThough th e concept of scaling is hardly new, its significance has evolved across aca demic disciplines, with profound implications for both the natural and huma n sciences. W. Rozeboom’s landmark essay, “Scaling Theory and the Nature of Measurement” (1966), laid a crucial foundation by distinguishing between s caling and measurement. Scaling is not simply about size reduction but enco mpasses a complex interplay of spatial, temporal, and cognitive dimensions. \n\nThis distinction has informed multiple fields, from geography (D.J. Mar ceau’s The Scale Issue in the Social and Natural Sciences, 2014) to politic al science (J. Meadowcroft’s Politics and Scale: Some Implications for Envi ronmental Governance, 2002) and anthropology (E. Summerson Carr and M. Lemp ert’s Scale: Discourse and Dimensions of Social Life, 2016). In the biologi cal sciences, works such as J.H. Brown and G.B. West’s Scaling in Biology h ave explored the vital role of scaling in understanding life systems. Simil arly, the history of science has illuminated how scaling functions as both a conceptual and methodological tool, as demonstrated by K. Tybjerg’s analy sis of scale in medical history and J. DiCaglio’s Scale Theory (2021).\n\nI n art history, scaling has emerged as a key concept in understanding how si ze shapes our interaction with objects and images. E. Lugli’s work—starting with the Size Matters colloquium (Florence, 2012) and culminating in To Sc ale (2015)—explores how scale organizes spatial and relational dynamics in artworks. As Lugli contends, “scale requires us to consider how size enable s a material entity to function convincingly as an artwork.”\nScaling the C osmos: An Interdisciplinary Approach\nIn astrophysical sciences, scaling ha s been foundational for modeling the vast structures of the universe. In hi s seminal article “Scaling in the Universe” (1995), S. Borgani discusses ho w scaling principles help interpret observational data and describe the lar ge-scale structure of the cosmos, focusing on concepts such as fractals. Th e relationship between scaling and dark energy and dark matter has been exp lored by L. Amendola et al. in “Challenges for Scaling Cosmologies” (2006), which delves into the dynamic forces shaping the universe’s elusive compon ents.\nModern astrophysical instruments, like the Hubble and James Webb Spa ce Telescopes, have broken new frontiers in cosmographic exploration, produ cing vast data sets and images that challenge both our understanding of the universe’s microstructure and its grand, interconnected scales.\n\nHowever , these modern endeavors echo the late medieval conceptualization of the co smos, where the relationship between the microcosm and macrocosm formed a p ivotal framework for understanding the cosmos. As K. Anderson’s 2019 articl e “Scaling Nature: Microcosm and Macrocosm in Later Medieval Thought” sugge sts, scaling was integral to medieval conceptions of the universe as a hier archical system, connecting the human scale to the divine and the cosmic.\n Scaling the cosmos is far from a new phenomenon. Its contemporary form, how ever, crystallized in the early modern period, particularly during the Rena issance. From maps attempting to represent the Earth’s vastness to modern a strophysical models, scaling has enabled the translation of celestial pheno mena into intellectual and visual representations. The work of early modern astronomers such as Kepler and Galileo marked a turning point for a more t angible understanding of planetary motion and the nature of the universe. \ n\n\nThemes of the Conference\nThe central theme of the Scaling the Cosmos conference revolves around the concept of scaling as a critical framework t hat spans the Human and Natural Sciences, touching Art History, the History of Science, and Astrophysical Sciences. Here, scaling goes beyond the comm on idea of physical resizing; it represents a dynamic and multi-layered pro cess designed to make the unfathomable cosmos accessible to human cognition . This includes exploring how the actual size of the world is represented t hrough maps, models, diagrams, instruments, objects, and images—whether for scientific, artistic, political, or technical purposes.\nScaling operates across multiple registers—spatial, temporal, and cognitive—transforming not only how we understand the universe but also how we measure, represent, an d perceive it.\n\nThe conference will explore the ways in which images, too ls, and instruments have been devised to scale the universe. From early ast ronomical clocks and celestial globes to modern digital simulations of cosm ic phenomena, each scaling operation presents both opportunities and limita tions for understanding the cosmos.\nBy interweaving perspectives from hist ory, science, and art, the conference will reframe how we think about scale —how the mapping of the cosmos, its visual representations, and the instrum ents used to explore it function as both tools of scientific inquiry and cu ltural artifacts. This interdisciplinary approach aims to show how scaling the cosmos continues to evolve, enabling us to understand the universe not merely as a physical entity but as a cultural, epistemic, and historical co nstruct.\nConference Sessions and Workshop\n\nThe conference will be struct ured around several thematic sessions, with three identified so far:\n\n - “Measuring the Cosmos: Instruments, Clocks, and Timekeeping”\n - “The Cosmo s as a Spectacle: Images, Observations, and Simulations”\n - “Historical an d Visual Narratives of the Cosmos”\nAdditionally, a workshop for early-care er scholars will provide an opportunity for emerging voices to contribute t o these interdisciplinary dialogues.\n\nBy rethinking scaling as both a sci entific tool and a cultural phenomenon, Scaling the Cosmos will offer new i nsights into the intellectual, visual, and material representations of the universe across history. This conference is an invitation to reconsider not only the methods and instruments we use to explore the cosmos but also the very ways in which we perceive and interpret our place within it.\n\n\nWor kshop Application Process\nPhD candidates and early-career researchers who obtained their PhD within the past five years are invited to apply.Each pre sentation will last approximately 15 minutes, followed by an open discussio n with a panel of respondents. This exchange aims to foster collective refl ection on methodological approaches and situate such research within the br oader contexts of both the history of science and the visual arts. The work shop is conceived as a key moment for collaborative discussion and critical engagement.We welcome papers that engage with the thematic sessions outlin ed above, but proposals are not limited to these topics. Submissions that f ocus on objects or archival materials from the Museo Galileo, or that requi re an in situ study of its collections, are particularly encouraged.Partici pants will be required to submit a draft paper prior to the conference. It will be read by the workshop discussants to foster an open discussion. Afte r the event, in the contest of the proceedings’ publication, participants m ight be asked to provide a final version of their presentation for inclusio n. Finally, participants will be asked to provide a brief report reflecting on their experience in the workshop.Selected participants will receive a g rant covering travel and accommodation expenses in Florence for the duratio n of the conference. \nSubmission Guidelines\nTo apply, please submit a 300 -word abstract of your presentation along with a short CV (maximum two page s) listing relevant publications and/or conference presentations. These mat erials should be combined into a single PDF file and sent by May 29, 2025 t o both Florian Métral and Maddalena Napolitani (see attached email adresses )  \n X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Scaling the Cosmos in the Modern Era: Images, Tools, and Ins truments

Location: Museo Galileo, Florence
Date: N ovember 19–21, 2025

Organizers: Florian Métral (CNRS/Centre André-Cha stel) and Maddalena Napolitani (Museo Galileo)

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Workshop Call for Papers

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Conference Context

Th e Scaling the Cosmos conference aims to examine the evolution of h uman understanding and representation of the cosmos through images, tools, and instruments during the Early Modern era (15-18th centuries), and also o pening the perspectives up to the present days. This interdisciplinary even t will bring together perspectives from Art History, the History of Science , and Astrophysical Sciences, encouraging a dynamic dialogue between these disciplines. Hosted at the Museo Galileo in Florence, November 19–21, 2025, it is part of the project Celestial Spectacles / Cosmospectio, le d by Florian Métral at the CNRS/Centre André-Chastel (Paris), and draws on the Museo Galileo’s recent exhibitions, Ore Italiane (2023) and Splendori Celesti (2023–2024). The event also marks the 400th annive rsary of Giovanni Domenico Cassini’s birth (1625–1712) and contributes to t he centennial celebrations of the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza - Museo Galileo in Florence.



The Concept of Scali ng

Though the concept of scaling is hardly new, its signific ance has evolved across academic disciplines, with profound implications fo r both the natural and human sciences. W. Rozeboom’s landmark essay, “S caling Theory and the Nature of Measurement” (1966), laid a crucial fo undation by distinguishing between scaling and measurement. Scaling is not simply about size reduction but encompasses a complex int erplay of spatial, temporal, and cognitive dimensions.


This dis tinction has informed multiple fields, from geography (D.J. Marceau’s T he Scale Issue in the Social and Natural Sciences, 2014) to political science (J. Meadowcroft’s Politics and Scale: Some Implications for Env ironmental Governance, 2002) and anthropology (E. Summerson Carr and M . Lempert’s Scale: Discourse and Dimensions of Social Life, 2016). In the biological sciences, works such as J.H. Brown and G.B. West’s S caling in Biology have explored the vital role of scaling in understan ding life systems. Similarly, the history of science has illuminated how sc aling functions as both a conceptual and methodological tool, as demonstrat ed by K. Tybjerg’s analysis of scale in medical history and J. DiCaglio’s < em>Scale Theory (2021).


In art history, scaling has emerge d as a key concept in understanding how size shapes our interaction with ob jects and images. E. Lugli’s work—starting with the Size Matters c olloquium (Florence, 2012) and culminating in To Scale (2015)—expl ores how scale organizes spatial and relational dynamics in artworks. As Lu gli contends, “scale requires us to consider how size enables a material en tity to function convincingly as an artwork.”

Scaling the Cos mos: An Interdisciplinary Approach

In astrophysical sciences , scaling has been foundational for modeling the vast structures of the uni verse. In his seminal article “Scaling in the Universe” (1995), S. Borgani discusses how scaling principles help interpret observational data and describe the large-scale structure of the cosmos, focusing on concepts such as fractals. The relationship between scaling and dark energy and dar k matter has been explored by L. Amendola et al. in “Challenges for Sca ling Cosmologies” (2006), which delves into the dynamic forces shaping the universe’s elusive components.

Modern astrophysical instruments, like the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, have broken new frontiers in cosmographic exploration, producing vast data sets and images that chal lenge both our understanding of the universe’s microstructure and its grand , interconnected scales.


However, these modern endeavors echo t he late medieval conceptualization of the cosmos, where the relationship be tween the microcosm and macrocosm formed a pivotal framework for understand ing the cosmos. As K. Anderson’s 2019 article “Scaling Nature: Microcos m and Macrocosm in Later Medieval Thought” suggests, scaling was integ ral to medieval conceptions of the universe as a hierarchical system, conne cting the human scale to the divine and the cosmic.

Scaling the cosmo s is far from a new phenomenon. Its contemporary form, however, crystallize d in the early modern period, particularly during the Renaissance. From map s attempting to represent the Earth’s vastness to modern astrophysical mode ls, scaling has enabled the translation of celestial phenomena into intelle ctual and visual representations. The work of early modern astronomers such as Kepler and Galileo marked a turning point for a more tangible understan ding of planetary motion and the nature of the universe. 



Themes of the Conference

The central theme of the Scaling the Cosmos conference revolves around the concept of s caling as a critical framework that spans the Human and Natural Sciences, t ouching Art History, the History of Science, and Astrophysical Sciences. He re, scaling goes beyond the common idea of physical resizing; it represents a dynamic and multi-layered process designed to make the unfathomable cosm os accessible to human cognition. This includes exploring how the actual si ze of the world is represented through maps, models, diagrams, instruments, objects, and images—whether for scientific, artistic, political, or techni cal purposes.

Scaling operates across multiple registers—spatial, tem poral, and cognitive—transforming not only how we understand the universe b ut also how we measure, represent, and perceive it.


The confere nce will explore the ways in which images, tools, and instruments have been devised to scale the universe. From early astronomical clocks and celestia l globes to modern digital simulations of cosmic phenomena, each scaling op eration presents both opportunities and limitations for understanding the c osmos.

By interweaving perspectives from history, science, and art, t he conference will reframe how we think about scale—how the mapping of the cosmos, its visual representations, and the instruments used to explore it function as both tools of scientific inquiry and cultural artifacts. This i nterdisciplinary approach aims to show how scaling the cosmos continues to evolve, enabling us to understand the universe not merely as a physical ent ity but as a cultural, epistemic, and historical construct.

C onference Sessions and Workshop


The conference will be structured around several thematic sessions, with three identified so far:


Additionally, a workshop for early-career scholars will provide an opportunity for emerging voices to contribute to these int erdisciplinary dialogues.


By rethinking scaling as both a scien tific tool and a cultural phenomenon, Scaling the Cosmos will offe r new insights into the intellectual, visual, and material representations of the universe across history. This conference is an invitation to reconsi der not only the methods and instruments we use to explore the cosmos but a lso the very ways in which we perceive and interpret our place within it.

Workshop Application Process


Submission Gui delines

To apply, please submit a 300-word abstract of your pre sentation along with a short CV (maximum two pages) listing relevant public ations and/or conference presentations. These materials should be combined into a single PDF file and sent by May 29, 2025 to both Fl orian Métral and Maddalena Napolitani (see attached email adresses)  < br /> CONTACT:Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. X-EXTRAINFO:gli indirizzi mail non compaiono correttamente nella call: per informazion i e per l'invio delle proposte scrivere a Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. e Questo in dirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. DTSTAMP:20260415T022629 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20250401T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20250401T000000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR