Helge Stjernholm Kragh (born February 13, 1944) is a Danish

historian of science The history of science covers the development of science from ancient history, ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural science, natural, social science, social, and formal science, formal. Pr ...

who focuses on the development of 19th century physics, chemistry, and astronomy. His published work includes biographies of

Paul Dirac Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac ( ; 8 August 1902 – 20 October 1984) was an English mathematician and Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist who is considered to be one of the founders of quantum mechanics. Dirac laid the foundations for bot ...

, Julius Thomsen and Ludvig Lorenz, and ''The Oxford Handbook of the History of Modern Cosmology'' (2019) which he co-edited with Malcolm Longair.

Biography

Kragh studied physics and chemistry at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...

, graduating with a degree in 1970. He earned his Ph.D. in

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

in 1981 at the University of Roskilde. He received a second doctorate, in

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

, from the University of Aarhus in 2007. Kragh was an associate professor of history of science at

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

from 1987 to 1989, a professor at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...

from 1995 to 1997, and a professor at Aarhus University in Denmark from 1997 to 2015. As of 2015 he retired, becoming emeritus professor at the

Niels Bohr Institute The Niels Bohr Institute () is a research institute of the University of Copenhagen. The research of the institute spans astronomy, geophysics, nanotechnology, particle physics, quantum mechanics, and biophysics. Overview The institute was foun ...

at the

. He is also a professor emeritus at the Centre for Science Studies of

Aarhus University Aarhus University (, abbreviated AU) is a public research university. Its main campus is located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Group, the Guild, and Ut ...

. Kragh's areas of study are the

history of physics Physics is a branch of science in which the primary objects of study are matter and energy. These topics were discussed across many cultures in ancient times by philosophers, but they had no means to distinguish causes of natural phenomena fro ...

from the mid-19th century onward, the

history of astronomy The history of astronomy focuses on the contributions civilizations have made to further their understanding of the universe beyond earth's atmosphere. Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences, achieving a high level of success in the sec ...

, the history of cosmology and the

history of chemistry The history of chemistry represents a time span from ancient history to the present. By 1000 BC, civilizations used technologies that would eventually form the basis of the various branches of chemistry. Examples include the discovery of fire, ex ...

. He is known for his work on the history of the periodic system, early quantum atomic models, speculative

cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe, the cosmos. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', with the meaning of "a speaking of the wo ...

and the northern lights.

Honors and awards

*2019, Roy G. Neville Prize for ''Julius Thomsen: A Life in Chemistry and Beyond'' (2016),

Science History Institute The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center. It was ...

* 2019,

Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics The Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics is an award given each year since 2005 jointly by the American Physical Society and the American Institute of Physics for "''outstanding scholarly achievements in the history of physics''". The prize is ...

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...

(APS) * President, European Society for the History of Science 2008–2010 * Member,

Académie Internationale d'Histoire des Sciences The International Academy of the History of Science () is a membership organization for historians of science. The Academy was founded on 17 August 1928 at the Congress of Historical Science by Aldo Mieli, Abel Rey, George Sarton, Henry E. Sigerist ...

(corresponding member since 1995, full member since 2005) * Member, Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

Selected writings

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Max Weinstein: Physics, Philosophy, Pandeism
History and Philosophy of Physics, 2019 * Foreword, Max B. Weinstein,
World and Life Views, Emerging From Religion, Philosophy and Perception of Nature
', trans. Deborah Moss, 2021

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kragh, Helge 1944 births Historians of physics 21st-century Danish physicists University of Copenhagen alumni Living people Roskilde University alumni