Abstract

In this paper I draw a series of connections between two bodies of work. One derives from the long-standing concern of geographers, as well as political theorists and analysts, in the contingency, temporality and spatiality of political life, or what I term ‘political situations’. The second develops from the established and abiding interest of historians and sociologists of science in the dynamics of scientific knowledge controversies, as well as recent attempts to ‘map’ controversies using digital methods. This broad tradition of research has inspired a series of studies by geographers and others of environmental scientific controversies relating to problems such as climate change, colony collapse disorder, nuclear waste and flood risk. Focusing on recent political events in Europe, I address both the limitations and the relevance of studies of scientific controversies to those interested in the geography of on-going political situations.