Margaret Gaida studies cross-cultural knowledge transmission in the medieval Mediterranean, with a particular focus on astronomy, astrology, optics, and magic.
A historian of science, her work draws on manuscript studies in Latin and Arabic, the history of the printed book, and the material and visual culture of premodern scientific practice. She is currently writing her first book, tentatively titled The Lost Art of Arabic Astrology. Gaida also maintains active research interests in the history of the occult sciences more broadly, as well as in women鈥檚 history. Gaida received her Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma and comes to Occidental from Caltech, where she taught courses in the humanities for the last five years. This spring, she will be a Museum Fellow at the Getty Research Institute.
What attracted you to Occidental?
After teaching at Caltech, I was thrilled to see an opportunity to come to Oxy. The interdisciplinary nature of my research in the history of science lends itself very well to Oxy鈥檚 liberal arts curriculum. The history faculty are all excellent scholar-teachers, and I really appreciate Oxy鈥檚 emphasis on recruiting professors who excel in their research and also care deeply about their teaching.
How did you take an interest in the history of science, and in your specialty in particular?
It was a bit of a circuitous route, but one that definitely makes sense in hindsight. After majoring in physics for my bachelor鈥檚 degree, and then doing a master鈥檚 in the philosophy of science, I took some time away from academia to explore some different career possibilities. I studied Arabic and moved to Tunis, Tunisia for several years. While there, I learned about a medieval Muslim scholar, Ibn al-Haytham, whose optical works were translated into Latin and then cited by the Renaissance sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti. I was fascinated by this story, and when I spoke to a mentor about possible career trajectories, he mentioned the history of science. Having studied Latin in high school, I had a background in both Latin and Arabic, and some technical mathematical skills from having studied physics. It was the perfect combination for working on the Arabic-Latin translation movement in the 12th and 13th centuries, and astronomy, astrology, and optics. Once I got my hands on the rare books in the History of Science Collections at the University of Oklahoma, and then manuscripts at the Vatican Library, I was hooked for life!
Can you talk about a favorite class you have taught (or are currently teaching) and what students can expect to take away from it?
One of the courses I always wanted to teach, and am teaching this semester at Oxy, is Magic, Science, and Religion. We鈥檙e covering an enormous amount of intellectual history, beginning as far back as Egypt and Mesopotamia, and moving all the way up to around 1700. A lot of people have the idea that there was no science before the scientific revolution and that premodern people were irrational and believed in magic, and that science and religion were always in conflict. The association of 鈥渙rientalism鈥 and magic is especially persistent. In this course, I hope students will learn that these are false narratives. By critically engaging with the modern categories of 鈥渕agic,鈥 鈥渟cience,鈥 and 鈥渞eligion,鈥 the course invites students to contextualize the beliefs and practices of premodern people in ways that will help them to challenge Eurocentric notions of progress and civilizational elitism.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing in Los Angeles?
I love the proximity to the mountains and the beaches! I enjoy going for hikes, exploring the cultural diversity in different neighborhoods, cafes, and restaurants, and visiting the amazing parks, libraries, and cultural institutions like the Huntington, Getty Center and Getty Villa, LA County Arboretum, and Descanso Gardens.