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Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA)
@astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
82 followers 130 following 42 posts
A research group at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) dedicated to studying the astral sciences in trans-regional Asia.

https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/research/departments/max-planck-research-group-astra
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astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢: A gentle reminder that our very own Dr Hamid Bohloul will give a lecture tomorrow (26 Nov, 2025) on "Royal Horoscopes in Persian" in the ZODIAC Colloquium: www.geschkult.fu-berlin.de/e/wissensges...

@mpiwg.bsky.social
Kolloquium
www.geschkult.fu-berlin.de
November 25, 2025 at 8:12 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢: Our High Gravity Talk with @audreytruschke.bsky.social is just over two weeks away. It is free to attend but registration is required. Seats a quickly filling up, so register now to secure your place. www.eventbrite.com/e/fieldnotes...

@mpiwg.bsky.social
November 4, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA)
mpiwg.bsky.social
#ResearchReels: 1 publication—3 minutes🏅

Researcher Jacob Schmidt-Madsen presents his article "Discovering Dadu: A Ludemic Enigma from South Asia," published in "Board Game Studies Journal" 🎲

🔗 youtu.be/QKR_Zi2MH08?si=QKmwfX9JyEJ

#HistSci #CulturalStudies #GameStudies @astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
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October 29, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Reposted by Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA)
mpiwg.bsky.social
"Cosmic Games: Real Gods Play Dice" ✨🎲

Visit us at #Berlin Science Week's CAMPUS to play traditional board games associated with cosmological representations from cultures and societies across the world.

🗓️ Nov. 1–2, 2025
📍@mfnberlin.bsky.social
🔗bit.ly/3LtFpV6

#HistSci @astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
A red and white cube with Berlin Science Week and 1–10 Nov 2025 written on the sides.
October 27, 2025 at 1:34 PM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢: Our workshop "For the Fortunate and Fearful Years: The Structure and Content of Persian Nativity Books" kicks off tomorrow! We are excited to have two days of intellectual and artistic discussion of Persian nativity books.

www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/fortun...

@mpiwg.bsky.social
For the Fortunate and Fearful Years: The Structure and Content of Persian Nativity Books | MPIWG
The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises scholars across all Departments and Research Groups, as well as an Administration team, IT Support, Library, Digital Humanities, and Research Communication and Management team.
www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
October 22, 2025 at 7:20 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢: Our workshop "Playing with the Past: Reconstructing Ancient Games" at the Berlin Science Week is now sold out. Didn't get tickets? Don't worry, we are planning more workshops in Berlin in the spring of 2026, so stay tuned for updates!

@mpiwg.bsky.social
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA) @astra-mpiwg.bsky.social · Oct 1
📢 Tickets for our workshop "Playing with the Past: Reconstructing Ancient Games" are selling out fast! One ticket left! Will you be the last to join us? Check out the workshop details here: www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/playin...
October 2, 2025 at 9:23 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 Tickets for our workshop "Playing with the Past: Reconstructing Ancient Games" are selling out fast! One ticket left! Will you be the last to join us? Check out the workshop details here: www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/playin...
October 1, 2025 at 7:27 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 We are excited to participate in this year's Berlin Science Week with an exhibition "Cosmic Games: Real Gods Play Dice" and a workshop "Playing with the Past: Reconstructing Ancient Games".

@mpiwg.bsky.social

🔗 www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/cosmic...

🔗 www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/playin...
Cosmic Games: Real Gods Play Dice | MPIWG
The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises scholars across all Departments and Research Groups, as well as an Administration team, IT Support, Library, Digital Humanities, and Research Communication and Management team.
www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
September 25, 2025 at 7:17 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 A gentle reminder that Prof. Elizabeth Kaske will present her work on "Digital Approaches to a Qing Chinese Boardgame" in the ASTRA colloquium series this morning at 10:00. Still time to tune in via Zoom. See link below.
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA) @astra-mpiwg.bsky.social · Sep 16
📢 : On September 24, 10:00-11:00 CET, Prof. Elizabeth Kaske will present her work on using computational techniques to analyze a 19th-century Chinese board game (Shengguan tu 升官圖) modelling promotion in the bureaucracy of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

@mpiwg.bsky.social
Digital Approaches to a Qing Chinese Boardgame | MPIWG
The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises scholars across all Departments and Research Groups, as well as an Administration team, IT Support, Library, Digital Humanities, and Research Communication and Management team.
www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
September 24, 2025 at 7:22 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 : The latest ASTRA Our Stories on Dr Hamid Bohloul's exciting research on Persian manuscript marginalia and court astrologers is out now!

"How Reading Persian Manuscript Marginalia Provides New Histories of Astral Sciences"

🔗 : www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/feature-stor...
September 17, 2025 at 9:16 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 : On September 24, 10:00-11:00 CET, Prof. Elizabeth Kaske will present her work on using computational techniques to analyze a 19th-century Chinese board game (Shengguan tu 升官圖) modelling promotion in the bureaucracy of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

@mpiwg.bsky.social
Digital Approaches to a Qing Chinese Boardgame | MPIWG
The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises scholars across all Departments and Research Groups, as well as an Administration team, IT Support, Library, Digital Humanities, and Research Communication and Management team.
www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
September 16, 2025 at 8:50 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 Day two of our "Games across Asia: The Primary Sources of Play" starts at 9:30. Today's focus in on South Asian games. Check the programme here:

🔗 www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/games-...
Games across Asia: The Primary Sources of Play | MPIWG
The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises scholars across all Departments and Research Groups, as well as an Administration team, IT Support, Library, Digital Humanities, and Research Communication and Management team.
www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
September 11, 2025 at 7:06 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
This afternoon, in connection with the "Games across Asia: The Primary Sources of Play" workshop, we are also hosting an Open Play Session for anyone interested in hands-on experience with Asian board games.

www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/open-p...
Poster for Open Play Session.
September 10, 2025 at 11:21 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 Our workshop "Games across Asia: The Primary Sources of Play" kicks off this morning with papers on nard, chess, and shaṭranj, the medieval form of chess practiced across the Islamicate world.

🔗 www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/event/games-...

@mpiwg.bsky.social

#games #histsci #astral
Games across Asia: The Primary Sources of Play | MPIWG
The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science comprises scholars across all Departments and Research Groups, as well as an Administration team, IT Support, Library, Digital Humanities, and Research Communication and Management team.
www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
September 10, 2025 at 9:05 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
Call For Abstracts

Rethinking planetary and sustainability governance through cosmological imaginaries

www.planetstewards.eu/call-for-abs...
Call for Abstracts | PLANETSTEWARDS
Contribute to advancing knowledge and solutions for Earth-space sustainability by submitting your papers to PlanetStewards. Join the conversation and help shape the discourse on stewardship strategies...
www.planetstewards.eu
September 4, 2025 at 7:08 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
Last week, Japan's oldest professional player of the board
game Go retired aged 98. One of the world's foremost scholars of Go, Daniela Trinks, will join the ASTRA research group next week. We are excited to have Daniela on board.

@mpiwg.bsky.social

www.berlinertageszeitung.de/en/Boulevard...
Time to Go: Japan pro board game player retires at 98
Japan's oldest professional player of the board game Go retired on Wednesday aged 98, saying that she can no longer handle "six hours without a break".
www.berlinertageszeitung.de
August 27, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Reposted by Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA)
mpiwg.bsky.social
Department "Knowledge Systems and Collective Life" seeks a Collaborative Research Coordinator!

🤝 Help expand its community-based, publicly engaged research
🎤 Advise researchers on cooperative methods
📋 Coordinate cooperation agreements

🗓️ Deadline: Sep 28, 2025
🔗 bit.ly/45FXu8R

#HistSci #EnvHist
Collage of three images. The first reads: "Max Planck Institute for the history of Science. Career. We're hiring." The second image shows a researcher presenting at the March 2025 Publications Slam. The third shows a group of people at the institute's courtyard. Second image by Anna Ruhnow, MPIWG 2025. Third image by MPIWG, 2021.
August 20, 2025 at 11:53 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
Did you ever hear of the South Asian board game Dadu? In this short video, Jacob Schmidt-Madsen gives a brief summary of his article "Discovering Dadu: A Ludemic Enigma from South Asia" published in the Board Game Studies Journal (no. 18, 2024). www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKR_...

@mpiwg.bsky.social
Discovering Dadu: A Ludemic Enigma from South Asia
YouTube video by ASTRA
www.youtube.com
August 19, 2025 at 11:02 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 Publication alert!

We are delighted to share the latest publication from ASTRA researchers Jacob Schmidt-Madsen and Anuj Misra.

"A Tree with Many Roots: Introducing the Zysk Collection of Indic Manuscripts", now open access in Manuscript Studies muse.jhu.edu/article/965563

@mpiwg.bsky.social
Project MUSE - A Tree with Many Roots: Introducing the Zysk Collection of Indic Manuscripts
muse.jhu.edu
August 7, 2025 at 12:57 PM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 We are excited to announce our next High Gravity Talk with @audreytruschke.bsky.social entitled "Fieldnotes from Battles over Indian History, Society, and Sciences" on November 20, 2025, 16:00 at the Leibniz Hall, Berlin. @mpiwg.bsky.social
🔗 tinyurl.com/mr2jrnz5
Poster for High Gravity Talk with Audrey Truschke on November 20, 2025.
August 6, 2025 at 12:05 PM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢 Our next High Gravity Talk entitled "Fieldnotes from Battles over Indian History, Society, and Sciences" will be given by @audreytruschke.bsky.social on November 20, 2025, 16:00 at the Leibniz Hall, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
🔗 tinyurl.com/mr2jrnz5
@mpiwg.bsky.social
Fieldnotes from Battles over Indian History, Society, and Sciences | MPIWG
tinyurl.com
July 15, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Reposted by Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA)
mpiwg.bsky.social
New podcast episode ☕😌
Jacob Schmidt-Madsen talks to Benjamin Linder on "The Channel” by the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) about the history of South Asian #Games and their inherent spiritual and societal meaning 👁️

🎧 bit.ly/44zyeSJ

#HistSci #Cosmology
@astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
Jacob Schmidt-Madsen in the lobby of the Institute during an event. He demonstrates an Asian board game opposed to the German board game “Mensch ärgere dich nicht” („Man, Don’t Get Angry“). Photo: Sandra Prengel, 2024.
July 11, 2025 at 10:46 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢: Jacob Schmidt-Madsen, Postdoctoral Scholar in the Research Group Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia (ASTRA), spoke to 5 Games 4 Doomsday (5G4D) host Ben Maddox about his research on the Indian origins of "Snakes & Ladders"

🔗: www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/news/jacob-s...

@mpiwg.bsky.social
Jacob Schmidt-Madsen on the Cultural History of Board Games | MPIWG
Schmidt-Madsen on how "Snakes & Ladders" served as a cosmic roadmap of fate and storytelling on 5G4D
www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
July 9, 2025 at 9:20 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢: Our postdoctoral fellow Hamid Bohloul is speaking about "Royal Horoscopes in Persian" in the Research Colloquium ZODIAC next week!

📅: 16 July 2025, 16:00-17:30
🌍: Institut für Wissensgeschichte des Altertums, Arnimallee 10, Raum 010, 14195 Berlin
🔗: www.geschkult.fu-berlin.de/e/zodiac/new...
Research Colloquium ZODIAC, Wissensgeschichte des Altertums and the ASTRA Project, MPIWG: Hamid Bohloul,
www.geschkult.fu-berlin.de
July 8, 2025 at 8:21 AM
astra-mpiwg.bsky.social
📢: Postdoctoral Scholar Jacob Schmidt-Madsen was interviewed by The Channel, a podcast by the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), about games, our worldview, and spirituality.

🔗: www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/podcast/sout...
South Asian Games with Jacob Schmidt-Madsen | MPIWG
MPIWG Postdoctoral Scholar Jacob Schmidt-Madsen is interviewed by The Channel to talk about how games reflect societies, how they affect our worldview, and the spiritual meaning they can convey.
www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
July 3, 2025 at 7:21 AM