Course Info: NS-0208
| Course | NS-0208 Science in a Cultural Context |
| Long Title | Science in a Cultural Context |
| Term | 2017F |
| Note(s) |
Textbook information |
| Meeting Info | Cole Science Center 333 on T,TH from 9:00-10:20 |
| Faculty | Kaca Bradonjic |
| Capacity | 22 |
| Available | 10 |
| Waitlist | 0 |
| Distribution(s) | |
| Cumulative Skill(s) | Writing and Research Independent Work |
| Additional Info | Students are generally expected to spend at least 6 to 8 hours per week on preparation and work outside of class time. |
| Description | In this course we developed an understanding of scientific inquiry and its methods as a human activity, inextricably linked to the cultural context in which it unfolds. By examining some of the major scientific revolutions in physics, we asked: What kinds of truths do the sciences produce and how? What is the role of data and technology in the making of scientific progress? What is the interaction between the sciences and other aspects of culture, such as politics, religion, and the arts? What kind of a person is a scientist and how does that depend on the time and place? We sought the answers by collaboratively studying a variety of sources, including historical documents; scholarly works of historians, philosophers, and other types of scholars; and both scientific and reflective writings of scientists themselves. This course was accessible to all students interested in how scientific inquiry fits into historical and contemporary cultural contexts. It was a reading- and writing-intensive course and written work was assigned for each class. |