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David Mercer

BA(Hons) History & Philosophy of Science, NSW 1986
PhD Science & Technology Studies, UOW 1994

Location: 19:1077
Email: dmercer@uow.edu.au
Telephone: 02 4221 4062

Current Position

Associate Professor, Science and Technology Studies Program

Current Administration

Deputy Chair of University of Wollongong Thesis Committee
Faculty of Arts Honours Coordinator
Convener of Science Technology Studies Program

Visiting Fellow

((2001, 2010) Institute for Advanced Studies of Science & Technology, Graz, Austria.

Professional Memberships

Australian Academy of Science. Member of the National Committee for History and Philosophy of Science, (2001-2004) (2008 - 2011).
Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science (National Executive, Regional Vice President 2003 - 2008).
Society for the Social Studies of Science (2000 >).
Asia Pacific STS Network

Editorial

Member of the Editorial Board (for Sociology of Science) of the international science studies review journal Metascience (commission and referee reviews: essays, symposia, etc.) published by Springer.

Referee for International and National Scholarly Journals, Associations and Publishers

Cambridge University Press
Oxford University Press
Elsevier
Social Studies of Science
Science Technology and Human Values
Public Understanding of Science
Science and Public Policy
Social Epistemology
Metascience
Psychology Public Policy and Law
Radiation Protection in Australasia
Journal of Australian Studies
Traffic
Journal of Environmental Management
Palgrave/Macmillan

Current Research

My primary area of research involves public policy in relation to science/expertise and law/regulation. I am particularly interested in the political, ethical and epistemological issues raised by the way legal and regulatory demands influence the shape of various fields of science and expertise. Related to this are broader questions of the lay/expert divide, the public understanding of science, public participation in science, and the bureaucratization of expertise. The main vehicle I have used to investigate these themes has been the study of scientific controversies involving litigation; case studies have included: Bendectin (pharmaceutical safety); Electric and Magnetic Fields (safety of powerlines/mobile telephones/telecommunications technology); Creation Science (problems of fringe science/ and science education); Daubert (evidence jurisprudence/ role of expert witnesses); Asbestos (theories of causation in Toxic Torts); Evidence Based Medicine (bureaucratization of expertise); Synthetic Biology (new norms of science). Following up on these research interests I worked (2005-2008) on an ARC Discovery Project the ‘Public Accountability of Vertically Integrated Expertise’ (This work is ongoing) see: ARC Discovery Grant: Vertically Integrated Experts »

Other research interests include: critical social history of communications technology, with a particular interest in, the way perceptions of time and space influence theories of technological change.

Research Grants

Year	Grant	Title	Status
	Small ARC Grants
1998		'Co-production of Law -Science Knowledge	$5,000
1999		Legal Understanding of Science	$4,000
2001		Popular RF Risk Perception	$4,000
2003	Strategic Research Development Grant	Authority and Hybrid Expertise in EMF/RF Litigation	$7,509
2005-	ARC Discovery	Vertically Integrated Expertise	$60,000

Publications

in Reverse Chronological Order/by Category

Searchable RIS publications from 2000 to date

Books:

David Mercer, 'The Telephone: The Life Story of a Technology', Greenwood Technographies, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, London, 2006. ISSN 1549-7321 http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR3207.aspx

Refereed Articles:

Gary Edmond and David Mercer, ‘Norms and Irony in the Biosciences: Ameliorating Critique in Synthetic Biology’ 21 Law and Literature (2009), pp. 445-470.
Robert Brown and David Mercer, 'The social shaping of technology: Lessons for eco-innovators', Australasian Journal of Information Systems (2009) 16, no. 2, pp. 93-102
David Mercer, ‘Science, Legitimacy, and Folk Epistemology in Medicine and Law; Parallels Between Legal Reforms to the Admissibility of Expert Evidence and Evidence Based Medicine’, Social Epistemology Volume 22. No. 4 October- December (2008), pp: 405-23.
Gary Edmond and David Mercer: ‘ Special Issue of Law and Policy: 30 years of key contributions to Law and Policy ‘Daubert and the exclusionary ethos: The Convergence of Corporate and Judicial Attitudes towards the Admissibility of Expert Evidence in Tort Litigation’ Law and Policy: Virtual Issue: Volume 30 (2008)
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Anti-social Epistemologies’, Social Studies of Science (2006) 36: 6. 843-853.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Daubert and the exclusionary ethos: The Convergence of Corporate and Judicial Attitudes towards the Admissibility of Expert Evidence in Tort Litigation’ (2004) 26 Law and Policy, 231-257.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Conjectures and Exhumations: Citations of history, philosophy and sociology of science in US federal courts’ (2002) 14 Law & Literature, 309-366.
David Mercer, ‘The Intersection of Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK) and Law: Some Themes and Policy Reflections’ (2002) 6 Law. Text. Culture, 137-158.
David Mercer, 'Scientific Method Discourses in the Construction of 'EMF Science': Interests, Resources and Rhetoric in Submissions to a Public Inquiry' (2002) 32 Social Studies of Science, 205-233.
David Mercer, ‘Overcoming Regulatory Fear of Public Perceptions of Mobile Phone Health Risks’, (2001) 18 Radiation Protection In Australasia, 84-9.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Litigation Life: Law-science knowledge construction in (Bendectin) mass toxic tort litigation’ (2000) 30 Social Studies of Science, 265-316.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Creating Science: Science, Law and Religion in the Australian Noah’s Ark Case’ (1999) 8 Public Understanding of Science, 317-343.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Juggling science: From polemic to pastiche’ (1999) 13 Social Epistemology, 215-233.
David Mercer, 'The Higher Moral Panic: Academic Scientism and its Quarrels with Science and Technology Studies,' (1999) 17 Prometheus, 77-85.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Trashing “Junk” Science’, (1998) 2 Stanford Technology Law Review [refereed electronic journal, Stanford University, USA] http://stlr.stanford.edu/STLR/Articles/98_STLR_3/index.htm
David Mercer, ‘Science Technology and Democracy on the 'STS' Agenda,’ (1998) 16 Prometheus, 81-91.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Representing Law and the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge’ (1998) 19 Science Communication, 307-327.
David Mercer, ‘The Hazards of Decontextualised Accounts of Public Perceptions of Radiofrequency Radiation (RFR) Risk,’ (1998) 22 Australian and New Zealand Journal Of Public Health, 291-294 (Commentary).
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Scientific Literacy and the Jury’ (1997) 6 Public Understanding of Science, 329-359.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘The Secret Life of (Mass) Torts’ (1997) 20 University of New South Wales Law Journal, 666-706.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Keeping ‘Junk’ History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science out of the Courtroom: Problems with the Reception of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’ (1997) 20 University of New South Wales Law Journal, 48-100.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Recognising Daubert: What Judges Should Know About Falsificationism’ (1997) 5 Expert Evidence 28-40.
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Manifest Destiny: Law and Science in America’ (1996) 10 Metascience 40-58.

Essays (as parts of Symposia):

David Mercer (with S. Yearley, A. Pitman and N. Oreskes and T. Conway) Review Symposium of Naomie Oreskes and Tim Conway ‘Merchants of Doubt’, Metascience (2011) Forthcoming.
David Mercer (2005) (with J. Ravetz, S. Turner and S. Fuller) 'A Parting Shot at Misunderstanding: Fuller vs. Kuhn', Review Symposium of Steve Fuller, Kuhn vs Popper: The Struggle for the Soul of Science, Metascience (2005) 14; 3-32.

Other Articles:

David Mercer, Technology and the Law: dealing with the ‘law lag’ , The Australian, July 4 (2011) part of series ‘Shaping our Future’ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/technology-and-the-law-dealing-with-the-law-lag/story-fn8ex0p1-1226086951328

Book Chapters:

David Mercer, ‘Can Social Scientists Shape Synthetic Biology? ’ 2010 Yearbook of the Institute of Advanced Studies on Science and Technology Graz: Austria (eds), Arno Bamme et.al eds, Profil: Munich(2011) Forthcoming
David Mercer, ‘Defining health, policy and science: legitimating vertically integrated expertise in the WHO EMF project’ 2008 Yearbook of the Institute of Advanced Studies on Science and Technology Graz: Austria (eds), Arno Bamme et.al eds, Profil: Munich (2009).
David Mercer, ‘Capturing the educational possibilities of creation science debates?’ in L. S. Jones and M. Reiss (eds) Teaching about Scientific Origins: Taking Account of Creationism, Peter Lang Publishing, New York (2007): 43-58.
David Mercer, ‘HEVIE knowledge’: The Public Accountability of Hyper Expertise and the Vertical Integration of Expertise. 2006 Yearbook of the Institute of Advanced Studies on Science and Technology Graz: Austria (eds), Arno Bamme et.al eds, Profil: Munich (2007) 337-356.
David Mercer, ‘Seen but not heard: Can STS shape policy in controversial areas of science’ 2004 Yearbook of the Institute of Advanced Studies on Science and Technology Graz: Austria (eds), Arno Bamme et.al eds, Profil: Munich (2005) 351-66.
Gary Edmond and David Mercer ‘Experts and expertise in legal and regulatory settings’ in G. Edmond (ed), ‘Expertise in Regulation and Law’, Ashgate Press U.K. (2004) 1-31.
Gary Edmond and David Mercer, ‘The invisible branch: The authority of science studies in expert evidence jurisprudence’ in G. Edmond (ed), ‘Expertise in Regulation and Law’, Ashgate Press U.K. (2004) 196-240.
David Mercer, ‘Hyper-experts and the vertical integration of expertise in EMF/RF litigation’ in G. Edmond (ed), ‘Expertise in Regulation and Law’, Ashgate Press U.K. (2004) 85-97.
David Mercer, ‘SSK and the Law: A Brief Critical Overview’ 2002 Yearbook of the Institute of Advanced Studies on Science and Technology Graz: Austria (eds), Arno Bamme et.al eds , Profil: Munich, (2003). 254-272; http://www.ifz.tugraz.at/index_en.php/article/articleview/986/1/58
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘Rebels without a cause: Judges, scientific evidence and the uses of causation’ in I. Freckelton et.al. (eds), Science, Medicine and Causation, Ashgate Press U.K (2002) 61-83.
David Mercer, ‘From Prudent Avoidance to Bureaucratic Avoidance: Lessons From the Recent RF Standard Setting Process in Australia,’ Mobile Telephones and Health, Mobitel: City and Financial, Gt. Britain, (1999) 49-59
Gary Edmond & David Mercer, ‘The Politics of Jury Competence’, in B. Martin (ed.) Participation and Technology (1998) 85-112 (University of Wollongong) ISBN 0 836418 559 6 http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/TPP/edmondmercer.html

Reviews (short essay format):

David Mercer, 'Representing SSK' (2005) 14, Metascience 205-07.
David Mercer, 'Social Epistemography' (2002) 11, Metascience, 387-390.
David Mercer, 'Provincial History of Science,' (1998) 7 Science as Culture, 117-12.
David Mercer, 'The Revealing Science of Cod', (1996) 26 'Social Studies of Science, 182-186.

Occasional Paper:

David Mercer, Understanding Scientific and Technical Controversy, STP Occasional Paper no 1, (76 pp) University of Wollongong, November, 1996. ISBN 0 86418 431 X.

Published Conference Proceedings:

‘Collaboration in context: what roles can/should social scientists play in the development of the field of synthetic biology', in S. Karner & G. Getzinger (eds), 9th Annual IAS-STS Conference on Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies, Institute for Advanced Studies on Science Technology and Society, Graz, Austria, 2010.
‘STS impact assessment’: reflections on the impact of STS expertise in legal and regulatory settings involving controversial science: Paper presented to ‘Towards STS Networking in the Asia Pacific Workshop, Institute for Environmental Research, Victoria University, Wellington: New Zealand Dec 2, 2008. http://apstsnzworkshop.blogspot.com/
‘Dialectics of Civic Epistemology” 7^th Annual IAS STS Conference ‘ Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies’ 23-8-9 May 2008 Graz, Austria. ISBN: 978-3-9502242-7-6 (CD)
‘History Calling: Lessons for theories of new media from the history of the telephone’ 6^th Annual IAS STS Conference ‘ Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies’ 23-25 May 2007 Graz, Austria. ISBN 3-9502242-1-1 (CD)
‘Science, Legitimacy, and Folk Epistemology in Medicine and Law; Parallels Between Legal Reforms to the Admissibility of Expert Evidence and Evidence Based Medicine’, ‘Evidence Workshop’ University of Queensland. 7-9/07. Podcast archived at http://www.representinggenes.org/biohumanities/podcasts/

Submissions to Government Inquiries

David Mercer, 'Submission' to the Australian Senate, Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, References Committee, Legislation Committee, Inquiry into Electromagnetic Radiation, July 25, 2000' (erca.sen@aph.gov.au)
David Mercer, Submission to Victorian Government Panel on Electromagnetic Fields and Health, December 10, 1991.

Letters

'Limits to Exposure' Letters New Scientist May 7,1992.

Reports

David Mercer, 'VDU's and Radiation: More Questions than Answers', Bankwatch,Australian Bank Employees' Union, prepared by the Centre for Technology & Social Change, Wollongong University, October 1989.
David Mercer, 'Implications of the 'first US VDU' law for Australia', Labour Market Topics, Centre for Work & Labour Market Studies, Wollongong University, October 1989.

PhD Research Supervision Completions

Degree	Candidate	Topic	Co-supervision	Status
PhD	Michael Burgess	Development with and beyond the market: in search of rational alternatives to neo-liberalism	Stewart Russell	Successful Completion 2001
PhD	Andrea Bunting	The Social Shaping of Wind Power in Australia	Stewart Russell	Successful Completion 2003
PhD	Sandrine Therese	Colonising Scientific Uncertainty: Liminality and agency in science boundary work	Brian Martin	Successful Completion 2004
PhD	Chris Moore	Don't Panic: An unhurried critique of copyright and the potential for alternatives	Graham Barwell (Primary supervisor)	Successful Completion 2007
PhD	Donald Maisch	The Procrustean Approach: Setting Health and Safety Standards for Electric and Magnetic Fields	Brian Martin	Successful Completion 2009

Invited Presentations

‘Can (should) STS shape the emerging field of Synthetic Biology’ at BIOS (Centre for the Study of Bioscience, Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Society) ‘Visitor Forum’ at the London School of Economics on June 17, 2010.
‘Science, Legitimacy and Folk Epistemology in Medicine and Law’ at the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) ‘Genomics and Policy Research Forum’ at the University of Edinburgh on June 9, 2010.
‘Collaboration in Context: Proximity vs. Engagement? Can (should) STS shape the emerging field of Synthetic Biology’ at CESAGEN and Department of Sociology, Lancaster University, on the June 16, 2010.
‘Science Fit for Court’ Spring Colloquium Series, Department of Science and Technology Studies Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, April 16, 2007.
‘Science, Legitimacy, and Folk Epistemology in Medicine and Law; Parallels Between Legal Reforms to the Admissibility of Expert Evidence and Evidence Based Medicine’, Invited presentation to ‘Evidence Workshop’ University of Queensland. Bio-humanities Program, University of Queensland (main sponsor) and by the Centre for Time, University of Sydney. January 9, 2007.
‘The Politics of Expertise and the EMF debate’, invited paper, School of Social Studies, University of Masaryk, Brno, Czech Republic, February 28, 2005.
‘Expertise in Law and Regulation’ UNSW, HPS Seminar Series, September 24, 2004.
‘Can STS shape policy in controversial areas of science’, Plenary Session 3rd Annual IAS-STS Conference: ‘Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies’, Institute for Advanced Studies on Science, Technology and Society, Graz, Austria, February 23,2004.
‘Daubert and the Exclusionary Ethos’, Spring Colloquium Series, Department of Science and Technology Studies and Law and Society Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, April 26, 2004.
‘Challenges to Interpreting Surveys of Judicial Science Literacy’, Workshop, School of Social Ecology and Criminology, University of California, Irvine, USA, April 3, 2004.
‘From Morning Sickness to Mobile Phones’, Sponsored by Criminology, Law and Society, Environmental Health, Science, and Policy, Planning Policy and Design, Working Group in STS and the Newkirk Center for Science and Society, University of California, Irvine, USA, April 4, 2004.
‘Seen but not heard: Can STS shape policy in controversial areas of science? STS advice and the Australian Committee on Electromagnetic Energy Public Health Issues’, Australian Academy of Science: National Committee for History and Philosophy of Science and the School of History and Philosophy of Science, University of New South Wales: A One-Day Symposium: Science Studies and Public Policy: A Sino- Australian Conversation, December 2, 2003.
‘Hyper Experts and the Vertical Integration of Expertise’, ‘Law's Experts': Interpreting Expertise in Legal and Regulatory Settings’, The National Institute of Government and Law; Australian National University, August 23, 2002.
‘SSK and the Law’: Faculty of Law: Washington and Lee University: VA, USA, 11/11/ 2002.
‘STS Goes to Washington: Citations of Science Studies in US Federal Courts’, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA, November 13, 2002.
‘Risk Communication, Safety Standards, the Public and RF Radiation', The Radiofrequency Spectrum: Managing Community Issues, Crown Plaza, Coogee Beach, Sydney, March 22, 2001.
‘Technologies of Uncertainty Workshop’, STS Department, Cornell University, USA, April 20, 2001.
'Minding the Gaps; Causation in Law and Science’, University of Adelaide Law School, May 14, 2001.
‘How To Cross-Examine Experts’, South Australian Branch of the Australasian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society, Adelaide, May 16, 2001.
'Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies Joint Workshop', Institute of Advanced Studies on Science Technology and Society, Graz, Austria; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, USA and Inter University Research Centre for Technology, Work and Culture, Graz, Austria, June 7-8, 2001.
'Overcoming Regulatory Fear of Public Perceptions of Mobile Telephone Hazards', Vienna Institute of Technology Assessment, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, June 13, 2001.
'Creating Science in the Noah's Ark Case' Seminar Series: Australian Centre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture, Faculty of Law, Australian National University, July 26, 2001. (acipa@law.anu.adu.au)
‘Unit for History and Philosophy of Science, Research Seminars 2000, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, ‘Scientific Method Ecologies in Legal -Regulatory Settings’ April 3, 2000.
Invited Speaker: Conference on Mobile Telephones and Health an Update on the Latest Research, Radisson, SAS Hotel, Park Avenue, Gothenburg, Sweden. ‘From Prudent Avoidance to Bureaucratic Avoidance: lessons from the recent Rf standard setting process in Australia’, September 16, 1999
Science and Technology Studies Department Cornell University, USA, Spring Seminar Series, ‘Saving Science’, May 4, 1998.
Science Studies Unit at Edinburgh University, Scotland, U.K. ‘The Politics of Jury Competence,’ April 28, 1998.
Panel/Forum on: ‘Assumptions underlying the judicial system in Australia and in the USA’ at the Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference, Cairns, by invitation of the Conference Keynote speaker, Vladimir Konecni. October 3, 1997.
Staff Seminar Series, University of New South Wales Law School, “Keeping Junk HPS/SSK out of the Courtroom.” August 24,1996.

Selected Examples of Reception/Citations of Research

‘The Life Story of the Telephone’ appears on the United States National Science Teachers Association list of recommended books. This is one of the largest science teachers associations in the world. The book received strong reviews in the ‘American Science Teacher’ and the leading history of technology journal, ‘Technology and Culture’.

Work on science/law and regulation has received wide acknowledgement re: significance and impact.

In 2008 the international peer reviewed journal Law and Policy (State University of New York) released a special issue featuring the 30 most significant articles published in the journal over the last 30 years. One of their selections was: Gary Edmond and David Mercer: ‘Daubert and the exclusionary ethos: The Convergence of Corporate and Judicial Attitudes towards the Admissibility of Expert Evidence in Tort Litigation’ Law and Policy: Virtual Issue: Volume 30 (2008)1-19.

Various publications on law/science and regulation have also been regularly cited in legal submissions, judgements, and a number of government reports in common law countries, eg, the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

A sample includes:

Report of National Institute of Criminology(Australia) ‘Enhancing Fairness in DNA Jury Trials(2010)
The U.K. Law Commission Consultation Paper No 190 (2009)
Report of the 2006 United States Forum for State Appellate Court Judges (2007).
NSW Law Reform Commission Report 109(2005)
Review of the Uniform Evidence Act , QLD Law Reform Commission , report 60, Sept (2005)
WA Govt, Law Reform Commission Expert Evidence 3.3 (2005)
2nd Edition of United States Federal Judicial Manual (US) (2000)
Australian Law Reform Commission Report ‘Experts’ (1999)
Reference in submissions and argument before the High Court of Australia. ‘H.G. v The Queen’. (1998
Judgement: ‘Peter Black v Tomislav Lipovac and Ors’, 699, Federal Court of Australia (1998)
Judgement: ‘Ena Mavis Deledio v Repatriation Commission’, 1047, Federal Court of Australia (1997)

Selected Conference Papers

‘Doubtbusters’ 2nd Asia Pacific Science Technology and Society Network Conference, Northeastern University Shenyang, China, July 19, 2011.
‘Professionalization and Globalization of Synthetic Biology: Images Rhetoric and Cross Cultural Challenges’ Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) Annual Meeting, University of Tokyo, 27th August 2010.
‘The limits of ‘Human Practices’ in Synthetic Biology’, Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for the History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science, University of Sydney, July 10, 2010
‘Collaboration in context: what roles can/should social scientists play in the development of the field of synthetic biology', 9th Annual IAS-STS Conference on Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies, Institute for Advanced Studies on Science Technology and Society, Graz, Austria, May 2010.
‘Norms and Irony in the Biosciences’ 1st Asia Pacific Science Technology and Society Network Conference, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, November, 2009.
‘History and Philosophy of Science on Trial’ XXIII International Congress of History of Science and Technology Budapest, Hungary, August 2009.
‘Dialectics of Civic Epistemology‘ Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies’ 7th Annual IAS/STS conference, Institute for Advanced Studies, Graz, Austria, May 9th 2008.
‘Defining health, policy and science: legitimating vertically integrated expertise in the WHO EMF project’, Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for The History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science, University of Melbourne, Australia, July 10, 2008.
‘Reconsidering Socio-technical Frameworks for Carbon Centric Computing Innovation’ Paper presented to National Research Summit on Carbon-centric Computing: IT solutions FOR climate change, University of Wollongong (with Robert B.K. Brown), November 24, 2008.
‘STS impact assessment’: reflections on the impact of STS expertise in legal and regulatory settings involving controversial science: Paper presented to ‘Towards STS Networking in the Asia Pacific Workshop, Institute for Environmental Research, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand, December 2, 2008.
The Trojan Mobile: EMF as an Agent for Technological Change’, 5th Annual IAS-STS Conference: ‘Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies’, Institute for Advanced Studies on Science, Technology and Society, Graz, Austria, May 26, 2006.
‘Anti- Social Epistemologies’, 2006 Australasian Association for Philosophy Annual Conference, (AAHPSSS stream) July 4, 2006.
STS Conference: ‘Critical Issues in Science and Technology Studies’, Institute for Advanced Studies on Science, Technology and Society, Graz, Austria, February 25, 2005
‘HEVIE KNOWLEDGE’, Hyper-Expertise and Vertical Integration of Expertise: Some theoretical Considerations. Society for Social Studies of Science Annual Conference, 4S: Pasadena: California, USA, October 22, 2005.
‘Legitimating De-specialized Expertise’ Australasian Association for the History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Annual Conference, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, December 7, 2005
‘Locating the boundaries of expertise in the EMF debate’, Australasian Association for History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science, Annual Conference, University of Newcastle, July 2, 2004.
‘The Public Accountability of Vertically Integrated expertise’, Plenary Session 4rh Annual IAS- STS Conference, Institute for Advanced Studies on Science, Technology and Society, Graz, Austria, 2004.
Toxic Torts, Think Tanks and the Vertical Integration of Expertise’, 2003 Annual Meeting of the Society for the Social Studies of Science ‘4S’, Atlanta, USA, October 18, 2003.
‘Torts, Junk Science and the Vertical Integration of Expertise’, 21st Annual Australian Law and Society Conference, University of Newcastle, December 10, 2003.
‘Sociology of Scientific Knowledge and Law/Science Encounters Involving Controversial Science and Technology’ Work in Progress Seminar Series Legal Intersections Research Centre: Faculty of Law, University of Wollongong, April 27, 2002.
‘Conjectures and Exhumations: Citations of HPS in US Federal Courts’, Australasian Association for the History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Annual Conference, University of Sydney, July 3, 2002.
4S ‘Judging Metascience: Inoculation or Accommodation’ 2002, Milwaukee, USA, November 9, 200
‘Science Studies at the Bar’, 20th Annual Australian Law and Society Conference, University of Wollongong, December, 2002.
Australasian Association for History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science , Annual Conference, University of Melbourne, Victoria: ‘How to Cross Examine Scientists’, and; ‘Overcoming Regulatory Fears of Public Perceptions of Mobile Telephone Risks’, Wednesday, June 27, 2001.
Australasian Association for History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Annual Conference, University of Sydney, ‘Demarcating Science and Law’, July 1, 2000.
4S/EASST Conference 2000, University of Vienna, Austria ‘Distance and Engagement: Negotiating Hybrid Identity’, Worlds in Transition’, 28 September 2000.
Australasian Association for the History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Annual Conference, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, ‘Narrative Strategies in the Construction of EMF Science in Legal and Regulatory contexts’, June 29, 1999.
Australasian Association for the History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Annual Conference at Flinders University, ‘Creating Science and Anti -Science, or the Creation Science Case that Wasn’t’, July 2, 1998.
‘Australasian Association for the History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Annual Conference, University of Auckland, New Zealand, ‘The Politics of Jury Competence’, July 1997.
Australasian Association for the History Philosophy and Social Studies of Science Annual Conference, University of Melbourne, Victoria, “Keeping Junk HPS/SSK out of the Courtroom”, July 1996.

Media interviews

ABC Science Online, ‘SMS not radiation affects children’s Brains?’ August 9, 2009.
Interview for the ABC ‘Radio National Technology Program’ The Buzz, ‘Tech’s Appeal’ (on the history of technology and social shaping of technology). The program was broadcast the week starting July 8, 2002: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/buzz/stories601507
‘Live’ interview “Powerlines and the Childhood Leukaemia Question” ABC Radio Illawarra, April, 2001.
‘Live’ interview “EMF Regulation the state of Debate’ ABC Radio NCR, June 13, 1990.
‘Live’ interview ‘Junk Science Debate’ ABC Radio Illawarra, April 4, 1998.
Interview for SBS TV INSIGHT Current Affairs Program, ‘Special Report Mobile Telephones and Health’, May 2000.

Community

Member of the EME Reference Group (EMERG) Australian Government (2001 – to date). This group includes members from consumer organizations, the telecommunications industry, the health sector, academic organizations, local government, and community groups. Its official task is to meet regularly to provide community input into the Committee on Electromagnetic Energy Public Health Issues (CEMEPHI).CEMEPHI co-ordinates, via the NHMRC, scientific research into RF/EME issues, Australian participation in WHO EMF programs and, with ARPANSA, a public information program.

Teaching

Teaching has spanned more than 20 different undergraduate courses (see below) across three broad subject areas: The History and Philosophy of Science; Science and Technology Policy; and Technology and Communications.