Floris Winckel Receives GWMT Award
November 11, 2026
Floris Winckel has been awarded this year’s “Dissertation Award of the German Society for the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology” for his dissertation entitled “The Snowflake in Science, 1611–1968: A Long-Term History of Studying a Short-Lived Object.”
His research explores the history of the scientific study of snowflakes, tracing how this short-lived natural phenomenon has been observed, investigated, and understood by scientists over more than three centuries.
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A 17th-century astronomer, an 18th-century doctor, a 19th-century whaler, and a 20th-century farmer discover an exquisite work of art… it turned out to be a f(l)ake.
Studying Snowflakes, 1611-1966: A History of Science
History of science
Observation
Snow