This project aims to explore the rich interaction between science and society during the High Roman Empire, a pivotal period in political and intellectual history. ‘Science’ broadly defined (including natural philosophy, medicine, technology, mathematics, physiognomy, etc.) was not restricted to specialists or experts exclusively but circulated more widely in Graeco-Roman society. To give only a few examples: there was lively debate of natural scientific problems at ancient symposia, doctors performed gruesome anatomical demonstrations in public, physiognomic theory was deployed by sophists to discredit their opponents, and mechanical engineers devised fully automated theatres to perplex their audiences. By means of a number of thought-provoking case-studies, this project offers refreshing, at times, indeed, unexpected insights into ancient science, how it was produced and communicated. What is the broader cultural embedding and political uptake of science in the Roman Empire? What does this say about the outlook of science in Graeco-Roman Antiquity and about its nature in general?