115. Melinda Baldwin: A triple history of Nature, scientific journals, and peer review

Melinda Baldwin is an associate professor of history at the University of Maryland. We talk about her work studying the history of Nature, scientific journals more broadly, what it means to be a scientist, peer review, the Tyndall project, and much more.BJKS Podcast is a podcast about neuroscience, psychology, and anything vaguely related, hosted by Benjamin James Kuper-Smith.Support the show: https://geni.us/bjks-patreonTimestamps0:00:00: Melinda's chemistry-history double major0:03:42: Why Melinda did a PhD on the history of Nature0:07:06: The glorious beginning of Nature and the history of scientific journals0:17:00: How Nature became a journal for scientists (rather than the educated general public)0:19:59: When did scientists start calling themselves 'scientists'? The mergence of science as a profession0:26:26: The history of peer review: How to get into Nature in the 19th century, and the rise of peer review during the Cold War0:40:53: Establishing causality in historical research0:48:33: The future of peer review1:06:16: Tyndall, why?1:19:02: A book or paper more people should read1:22:24: Something Melinda wishes she'd learnt sooner1:29:05: Advice for PhD students/postdocsPodcast linksWebsite: https://geni.us/bjks-podBlueSky: https://geni.us/pod-bskyMelinda's linksWebsite: https://geni.us/baldwin-webGoogle Scholar: https://geni.us/baldwin-scholarBlueSky: https://geni.us/baldwin-bskyBen's linksWebsite: https://geni.us/bjks-webGoogle Scholar: https://geni.us/bjks-scholarBlueSky: https://geni.us/bjks-bskyReferences and linkseLife peer review: https://elifesciences.org/about/peer-reviewJohn Tyndall project: https://tyndallproject.com/Baldwin (2017). In referees we trust? Physics Today.Baldwin (2018). Scientific autonomy, public accountability, and the rise of “peer review” in the Cold War United States. Isis.Baldwin (2019). Making" Nature" The History of a Scientific Journal.Gordin (2012). The pseudoscience wars: Immanuel Velikovsky and the birth of the modern fringe.Poehler (2014). Yes please.Zuckerman & Merton (1971). Patterns of evaluation in science: Institutionalisation, structure and functions of the referee system. Minerva.