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This course offers a critical inquiry into scientific thought, including the perspectives of Wesleyan faculty with expertise in science issues. Beginning with an overview of the intellectual foundations of scientific method in the 17th century, the course will cover the contributions of Bacon, Descartes, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Pascal and others, plus the current influence of contemporary thinkers such as Ayer and Popper. Topics will be chosen from the relativity theory, quantum mechanics and the uncertainty principle, the big bang theory of the origin of the universe, the DNA double helix, Darwin's natural selection, and entropy, disorder and chaos theory. Current research on the biology of AIDS and such controversial issues as polywater and cold fusion will help to illustrate how scientific method validates knowledge and corrects for mistakes.
COURSE FORMAT: Lecture
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: NSM CHEM Grading Mode: Graded
Prerequisites: NONE
Last Updated on MAR-24-2000
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459