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Academic Year 2004/2005

Dinosaurs to DNA: Survey of Science in Western Life Since 1700
HIST 292 SP

Crosslistings: SISP 292

This course introduces students to the history of science through selected writings and pictures from the history of scientific discovery. The course covers a broad range of topics in the history of scientific discovery from the eighteenth-century to the present, including extinct monsters, electricity, evolutionary theory, nuclear physics, biochemistry, and modern genetics. In the last fifteen years, the study of the history of science has been marked by enormous vitality both in terms of new research, and the variety of methodological approaches that historians use to investigate the cultural significance of science in society. The course combines a discussion of the history of scientific discoveries with an examination of the social, ethical and cultural dimensions of scientific discovery in particular historical contexts. Students learn how to write histories of science using primary sources and scientific instruments, and acquire tools for analyzing contemporary ethical issues in science. Throughout the course, attention will be paid to the intersection of science with other primary modes of power: gender, race, class, sexuality, and nationalism.

MAJOR READINGS

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-21-2005

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