Dr. Bernhard Isopp is a lecturer (Akademischer Rat) in the RESET Master’s Program and researcher in the Innovation, Society, and Public Policy group. He holds a PhD in Science and Technology Studies and a Master’s in Humanities, both from York University in Toronto, Canada. He also completed a B.A. in History and Philosophy at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. His teaching and research is multi- and inter-disciplinary, drawing on diverse approaches in the humanities and social sciences. Prior to joining the Department of Science, Technology, and Society at TUM, he held positions as a lecturer at Trent University, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and York University.
His research revolves around questions of the politicization of science and technology, especially regarding climate change, sustainability, and related environmental concerns. He is currently working on a project looking at the role of bicycles in mobility transitions, with a set of cases examining urban transportation politics and sustainability imperatives in the bicycle industry.
- Public Understanding of Science and Technology
- Politics of Climate Change and the Environment
- Science Communication
- Sustainable Mobility
- Transportation Politics
- Velomobility
- History of Bicycles
- Philosophy of Technology
Journal Articles and Book Chapters
- Isopp, B. (2024). The politics of politicization: Climate change debates in Canadian print media. Public Understanding of Science, 33(5), 604–622. https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625231220226
- Isopp, B. (2020). The Politics of Symmetry. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective, 9(1), 12–18.
- Isopp, B. (2015). Scientists Who Become Activists: Are They Crossing a Line? Journal of Science Communication, 14(2). http://jcom.sissa.it/archive/14/02/JCOM_1402_2015_C01/JCOM_1402_2015_C03
- Isopp, B. (2014). The Perils, Politics, and Promises of Activist Science. In L. Bencze & S. Alsop (Eds.), Activist Science and Technology Education (Vol. 9, pp. 307–321). Springer Netherlands. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-94-007-4360-1_17
PhD Thesis
- Isopp, B. (2018). Mediating Public Science: Experts, Politics, and Climate Change in the News Media in Canada. PhD Thesis, York University, Canada. Available at: https://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/xmlui/handle/10315/35864
Other Publications
- Isopp, B. (2022, August 16). Munich’s biking culture offers ideas on integrating cars and bikes safely. The Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/munich-s-biking-culture-offers-ideas-on-integrating-cars-and-bikes-safely/article_90f57cc9-fe19-5e64-bec7-c303514ee7b2.html
- Isopp, B. (2022). Driving towards a carbon-free future?: Electric vehicles offer an opportunity to reshape mobility in Toronto. Spacing.
- Isopp, B. (2021, September 23). Why aren’t more big bike firms tracking their environmental impact? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2021/sep/23/why-arent-more-big-bike-firms-tracking-their-environmental-impact