Largo dislocare: connecting microhistories to remap and recenter histories of science

This brief essay uses Pandurang Khankhoje, an Indian scientist and political refugee in Mexico, as an example of the value of using a largo dislocare approach to write histories of science. Largo dislocare is an invitation to dislocate known histories not just geographically but also chronologically to better understand the motion of people, ideas and objects. By examining the largo (long) trajectory of science in spaces that do not conform to traditional history of science markers we acknowledge that our established chronologies are in need of expansion. For the where with which we begin these histories is as essential as when we begin them. In addition, this approach challenges us to consciously and constantly search for evidence to write about how those on the fringes of society – migrants, refugees, members of ostracized ethnic groups, etc. – in the so-called global margins produce science.