What shapes scientific knowledge?
And who gets to shape it?
This open lecture invites students, researchers, and curious minds to explore the social dimensions of science through the lenses of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and the Sociology of Science — two fields that have profoundly transformed the way we understand how science and expertise work in the real world.
Riccardo Chesta (DEIB, Politecnico di Milano) will guide us through the ways in which scientific knowledge is produced, negotiated, and embedded in social, institutional, and political contexts — challenging the idea of science as a purely neutral or self-contained enterprise.
Drawing on key theoretical frameworks and contemporary case studies, the lecture will open up new perspectives on the relationship between science, power, and society.
The lecture will be followed by a rich discussion with Davide Caselli (University of Bergamo) and Gloria Pessina (DASTU, Politecnico di Milano), chaired by Valeria Fedeli. Together, they will explore the implications of these approaches for research, design, and professional practice.