With provocative readings and thoughtful discussion, this class is an intelligent blend of science and history that relates the influence of science on culture. Twentieth century scientists making discoveries in biology, physics, and psychology morph from flat protraits in a textbook into human beings. The reading list included primary sources of the original discoveries as well as the following book list:

Men Who Made a New Physics by Barbara Cline
-Cline's main thesis is that the scientists' acquisition of knowledge and their method of discovery was directly influenced by the way they acted as human beings: their personalities dictated the path of their scientific careers.

Outline of Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud
-Freud explains how is method of psychology can be considered a true science.

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
-By showing a vicious side to ner "technology," Carson's influential book was a major agent in changing people's views on science as a savior of society.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
-A prediction of what life might be like if the mechanistic reductionist scientists were to rule the world.

The Physicist by Daniel Kevles
-Kevles explores the connection between the culture of the United States and the goals, methods, and the societal role of physicists.

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn
-Kuhn critiques the contemporary view of science and how it has changed and developed over time. He redefines science.

Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis
-Lewis tells the story of a young man's quest to conduct pure science without influence of the culture around him. He begins his career as a country doctor and ends up a practicing researcher in a secluded cabin in Vermont.

The Double Helix by James D. Watson
-Watson's autobiography relates his discovery of the structure of DNA.

The Time Machine by HG Wells
-In one of the first science fiction novels, Wells explores the idea of time travel but predicts the fate of man and the world.

Even though I have worked on research projects in a variety of university and government labs prior to taking this course, I maintained the naïve view that science was unbiased and objective. After examining the issues surrounding the rise of modern science, however, I now realize the powerful subjective influence of culture on what is studied, how it is studied, and how the findings are manipulated.

I am convinced of the value in having students explore the history behind scientific discoveries. Science needs to be more than a subject with right wrong textbook answers. Learning about societal influences on scientific thought can engage students who might otherwise find science cold and impersonal and make them aware of how science can powerfully impact their world.

Essays written for the class
 

For a comparison of HG Wells's and Albert Einstein's ideas on space and time click here

For a comparison of Daniel Kevles's analysis of physics and society with Sinclair Lewis's vision of medicine and society click here

For a comparison of John Watson and Sigmund Freud's vision of psychology click here

For a comparison of Du Pont's and Sinclair Lewis's vision of  future research click here

For a critique of Barabara Cline's book click here

 
 

Back to Learning
Main Page	Evaluation
Teaching	Learning