The Research Unit on the History of Physics in Latin America consists of a group of researchers in physics and history of science, based primarily, though not exclusively, at teaching and research institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean. They are united around the mission of describing and understanding the processes that introduced and consolidated physics in the countries of this region. While seeking to understand the processes that made physics a reality in Latin America, the Unit is also concerned with disseminating the importance of preserving paper documents and scientific instruments, considered essential for understanding the history of this science in the region. The formulation and implementation of preservation policies for materials required for research in the history of physics constitute an important task of the Unit.
The theoretical perspective guiding the group is based on the idea that scientific results alone are not sufficient to understand Latin American physics; physics must also be viewed as a practice, allowing the identification of the scientific communities dedicated to it. The Unit seeks to operate as a network, encouraging working groups, since physics in the region owes its existence to collaboration and the circulation of people. Thus, physics should be examined from a transnational perspective. By emphasizing practice and transnationalism, the Unit incorporates the idea that science can be understood as a form of cultural expression, allowing a more balanced and equitable understanding of the relationship between science and society.
The Unit is still in the implementation phase. Its activities have been promoted mainly by its coordinator, who encourages collaborative work. Due to the advanced deterioration of the CLAF headquarters building, a large part of the archive had to be urgently removed and is temporarily housed in the CBPF Library. The coordinator has also participated in the committee appointed by the CBPF Directorate to organize restoration and renovation plans for the historic pavilion that housed CLAF until recently.
Examples of recent activities:
1. Antonio A. P. Videira, oral presentation “Latin-American Physics and Science Diplomacy” at the CLAF–MCTI High Level Seminar Perspectives for Scientific Cooperation in Physics in Latin America, 5 December 2025, Brasília, Brazil.
2. Oral presentation “Historical Account on HEP Research in Latin America”, prepared by Adriana Minor (COLMEX), Antonio Augusto P. Videira (UERJ/CBPF), and Ivã Gurgel (USP), presented at the CLAF Symposium – Opportunities for Latin-American Cooperation in High-Energy Physics with CERN, Rio de Janeiro, 14 November 2025.
3. Antonio A. P. Videira, oral presentation “Physique et Diplomatie dans le contexte de la guerre froide: le cas du Centro Latino-Americano de Física”, at the XIV Congress of the French Society for the History of Science and Technology.
Coordinator: Antonio Augusto P. Videira