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Course Details
Fall 2014-2015
Course books
Evaluation* HIS 391 (HA) Graded A-F, P/D/F, Audit
History of Contemporary Science
More science has been done since 1970 than in the history of the world before that date--- combined. This course traces a series of developments in contemporary science across a broad array of disciplines, with the goal of illuminating the historical processes that have brought them about and providing students with a set of tools to understand the particular position of the sciences in today's world. Topics covered include AIDS, nuclear power, string theory, evolutionary psychology, brain drain, and genomics.
Sample reading list:
Bill Devall and George Sessions, Deep Ecology
Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time
Michael Nielsen, Reinventing Discovery
Paul Rabinow, Making PCR: A Story of Biotechnology
Lee Smolin, The Trouble With Physics
Richard Wrangham, Demonic Males
Reading/Writing assignments:
150--200 pages of reading a week. There are six writing assignments associated with the precepts (500 words apiece, worth 20% of the final grade), of which students must turn in five. A "book analysis" will be due in week 7 of the course, comprising 10 double-spaced pages.
Requirements/Grading:
Paper in Lieu of Mid Term - 20%
Take Home Final Exam - 40%
Class/Precept Participation - 20%
Other (See Instructor) - 20%
Prerequisites and Restrictions:
None.
Schedule/Classroom assignment:
| Class number | Section | Time | Days | Room | Enrollment | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23447 | L01 | 10:00:00 am - 10:50:00 am | M W | McCormick Hall 101 | Enrolled:56 Limit:80 | |
| 23562 | P01 | 01:30:00 pm - 02:20:00 pm | W | McCosh Hall B22 | Enrolled:12 Limit:13 | |
| 23563 | P02 | 02:30:00 pm - 03:20:00 pm | W | McCosh Hall 26 | Enrolled:7 Limit:9 | |
| 23564 | P03 | 03:30:00 pm - 04:20:00 pm | W | McCosh Hall 26 | Enrolled:7 Limit:9 | |
| 23565 | P04 | 01:30:00 pm - 02:20:00 pm | Th | Scheide Caldwell House 203 | Enrolled:13 Limit:13 | Closed |
| 23566 | P05 | 02:30:00 pm - 03:20:00 pm | Th | Scheide Caldwell House 203 | Enrolled:9 Limit:13 | |
| 23567 | P06 | 03:30:00 pm - 04:20:00 pm | Th | Scheide Caldwell House 203 | Enrolled:6 Limit:13 | |
| 24659 | P07 | 07:30:00 pm - 08:20:00 pm | Th | Enrolled:2 Limit:3 | ||
| 23448 | P99 | TBA | Enrolled:0 Limit:0 | Canceled |