Most people know a mushroom when they see one, but very few can identify one with visual cues alone. During the late-nineteenth century, as mycology experienced a major transnational expansion, the lack of standard naming systems or methods for identifying specimens led to debates over the conditions of expertise and experiments in training observers. This talk explores the deceptively simple question of classifying a species in the work of Curtis Gates Lloyd, a Cincinnati-based mycologist who built a massive, international network of amateur observers in the early 20th century; in the first mushroom identification field guides from the mid-century; and in contemporary AI mushroom identification apps to explore the formation of expert judgment and its limits.
Event Speaker
Brad Bolman, Postdoctoral Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study
Event Information
This event is free and open to the public; Registration required. Please contact [email protected] or [email protected] with any questions.
This event is part of the New York History of Science Lecture Series.
Sponsoring Organizations:
- Columbia University in the City of New York
- NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study
- The Graduate Center, City University of New York
- The New York Academy of Medicine
- The New York Academy of Sciences
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