Ada Palmer

Departmental website:
https://history.uchicago.edu/directory/ada-palmer

Ada Palmer is a cultural and intellectual historian focusing on radical thought and the recovery of the classics in the Renaissance. She works on the history of science, religion, heresy, freethought, atheism, censorship, books, printing, and on patronage and the networks of power and money that enabled cultural creation in pre-modern Europe. 

Her first book, Reading Lucretius in the Renaissance (2014) explores the impact of the Renaissance rediscovery of ancient Epicurean atomist physics. Her current research focuses on censorship, especially patterns in the motives of censors across time and space, and how new information technologies stimulate new forms of censorship. She recently produced a video discussion series on censorship during information revolutions, comparing the print and digital revolutions, which you can watch streaming free online at voices.uchicago.edu/censorship 

In addition, Assoc. Prof. Palmer is a composer, and an award-winning author of science fiction and fantasy best known for her Terra Ignota novels.

  • Title: Associate Professor of Early Modern European History and the College
  • Education: BA, Bryn Mawr College; MA, PhD, both from Harvard University
  • Joined UChicago faculty: 2014
  • adapalmer@uchicago.edu
  • @Ada_Palmer

Media Contacts

Elizabeth Braun Rush

Executive Director for Strategic Communications, Social Sciences Division

ACN logo

Expertise

Science fiction, Fantasy, Censorship, Classics, Disability, Futurism, Genre fiction

Palmer Stories

There’s no such thing as a ‘golden age,’ says Renaissance scholar Danse Macabre painting

There’s no such thing as a ‘golden age,’ says Renaissance scholar

In new book, UChicago’s Ada Palmer explores popular misunderstandings of the Renaissance and historical myths used for political gain

In acclaimed sci-fi novels, Ada Palmer uses history to build a ‘deep and detailed world’ UChicago historian Ada Palmer stands with a cane on campus in front of Hull Gate Gate

In acclaimed sci-fi novels, Ada Palmer uses history to build a ‘deep and detailed world’

Finalist for a Hugo Award, UChicago historian’s ‘Terra Ignota’ series explores societal evolution and the importance of ‘partial victories’

Books you should read this summer, according to UChicago faculty Summer reading

Books you should read this summer, according to UChicago faculty

Faculty teaching award winners share works that brought comfort, joy

UChicago announces 2021 winners of Quantrell and Graduate Teaching Awards A group of students learn outside on the UChicago campus

UChicago announces 2021 winners of Quantrell and Graduate Teaching Awards

Awards recognize faculty for exceptional teaching, mentoring amid unique year

From outdoor art to virtual worlds, a look at UChicago’s Autumn Quarter Outdoor art class

From outdoor art to virtual worlds, a look at UChicago’s Autumn Quarter

Campus community finds unique ways to learn, connect—online and in person

Black Death Pandemic

What Historic Pandemics Could Teach Us About Coronavirus, with Ada Palmer

Donning Renaissance costumes, students re-enact 1492 papal elections Papal election

Donning Renaissance costumes, students re-enact 1492 papal elections

Historian Ada Palmer traces censorship of radical ideas across centuries Thumbnail

Historian Ada Palmer traces censorship of radical ideas across centuries

Introduction, Censorship & Information Control During Information Revolutions Ada Palmer

Introduction, Censorship & Information Control During Information Revolutions

Can Science Justify Itself?

Can Science Justify Itself?

Asst. Prof. Ada Palmer reviews book examining attacks on scientific progress


Harvard Magazine