First-Year Writing Seminar: Debating Science: Great Scientific Controversies in Context  

Semester and Year	FA 2012
Course Number	FIRST-UG388
Section	001
Instructor	Jose Perillan
Days	Mon,Wed
Time	12:30 PM - 1:45 PM
Units	4.0
Level	U
Foundation Requirement

Notes/Restrictions

Open to Gallatin first-year students only.

Description

Is light a wave, a particle, or both? Were the ‘Bone Wars’ controversies of the late nineteenth century good for the study of paleontology? Does quantum physics deny the existence of physical reality? Which is the more powerful driver: nature or nurture? Will the universe continue expanding forever or will it ultimately end in a fiery collapse? Tesla vs. Edison: is AC or DC more likely to cause death by electrocution? These are some of the greatest debates that have gripped the scientific community over the past two hundred and fifty years. Many of these debates have been restricted to a healthy dialogue within the scientific community but on occasion they have sparked lively and even ad hominem exchanges between scientists. In this seminar we will explore the nature of these debates within their appropriate contexts. No mathematical or scientific background is necessary; a sincere interest in the subject matter is the only pre-requisite for this seminar. Students will write, workshop and revise three shorter expository essays and a longer literary critical essay. Readings may include works by: Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Thomas Henry Huxley, Samuel Wilberforce, Harlow Shapely, Heber Curtis, Othniel Marsh, and Edward Cope, Jill Jonnes, Manjit Kumar, Kevin Davies, Brenda Maddox, Edward Lawson, and Tom Rea.

Syllabus

FIRST-UG388

Course Type

First-Year Program: Writing Seminars (FIRST-UG)