The subject of this symposium is the historical transformations of the mutual relationships between science and technology from a perspective grounded on contemporary historiographical views specific to the history of science. Therefore, we propose a discussion of such relationships focusing on the different historical modes how the knowledge on nature and art (techné) was recorded and conveyed.

Recent studies grounded on novel historiographical approaches stress the need to discuss the relationship between science and technology in the terms of the interaction between knowledge and action. Such studies seek to understand not only the development and elaboration of scientific and technological knowledge, but also to analyse the nature of their mutual connections. As a result, topics like experimental methods, laboratory work, instruments and other equipment, the relationship between science and industry, or science, technology, and work, among many others were approached from several different perspectives.

Nevertheless, although such historical studies sought to understand and describe the nature of the mutual connections between science and technology, little research was performed on the transmission of such knowledge, the material support that ensured it, and its implications for the development of new scientific and technological knowledge.