This course examines the intersections of "Science, Technology and Culture" and how they play a crucial role in every facet of our education. The arts and the sciences share a similar mandate: to question the world, and in doing so, to provide answers that satisfy the human intellect. In order to look at how science and art became separate "disciplines," we will examine both the nature of intellectual inquiry in general as well as the development of specific academic and professional disciplines. Students in this course will develop a strong foundation in the sciences and engineering, while also acquiring the critical and analytical skills needed to understand how science and technology mediate knowledge and operate within cultures.

The course will appeal to students who are interested in looking beyond the formal structures of scientific inquiry in order to understand how cultures shape--and are shaped by--science and technology. The course is based on the assumption that interdisciplinary study ought to be the norm rather than the exception.

Fractal image in a leaf pattern.

Texts (see below)include Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, Michael Frayn's Copenhagen and weekly readings from the New York Times. We will also read from philosophers such as Thomas Kuhn. Subjects will include issues in the biological sciences, new media technologies, and engineering. Students will find that the course suggests new ways of approaching the problems and ideas that they face in other classes and that they will face in their future careers. The readings and lectures emphasize the need to think beyond conventional world views; as a result, students will understand new perspectives touching on ethics and the production of both new and old knowledge.

Unlike other courses which focus on a specific topic, a particular time period, or modes of procedure, this course undertakes to explore the intellectual common ground of science, technology, and the arts. In order to do that, we will have to jump from topic to topic and it will be your responsibility to make certain links... or, at the very least, to ask me to make the links for you, if they're not apparent. The question might be, for some of you: "Why take a course like this?" The answer is relatively simple. This course gets you to explore the means by which you accumulate, organize, and create knowledge in your own majors. That understanding will be a remarkable asset to you in virtually any major or career you pursue. Of course, you have to be comfortable with thinking "outside" coinventional structures and if you're uncomfortable with that or if you simply want "chunks" of content arranged on a syllabus (and there's nothing wrong with that), this course isn't for you.

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing NY: Viking Press; ISBN: 0140135154	Collins. Harry M. & Trevor Pinch. The Golem:What you Should Know about Science . Cambridge University Press,1998. ISBN 0521645506	Frayn, Michael. Copenhagen. London: Methuen Drama. ISBN: 0385720793
Petroski, Henry Invention as Design: How Engineers get from Thought to Thing. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1996. ISBN: 0674463684	Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. M. K. Joseph Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0192815326	Weschler, Lawrence Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder. New York: Vintage, 1995. ISBN: 06794389986
Stoppard, Tom Arcadia New York : Faber & Faber. ISBN: 0571169341	On Tuesdays & Thursdays, we'll read articles from the "Science Times" and the "Circuits" sections.	ONLINE READINGS (Web links above) & PRS Clicker (below)

OK. This is a LARGE class and as a consequence you may feel as though it will necessarily be impersonal. I don't like that about larges classes and neither, I imagine, do you. So, let's do what we can to make it as engaging as possible. I've decided to use the PRS Clickers to get us all more involved in classroom activities. (Be patient with me... I'm still learning the system.) I'll also respond to emails and will set up appointments (aside from my office hours) to meet with you.

We'll have 5 quizzes pver the course of the semester and a "longer" quiz, which will serve as a midterm. There will also be a final exam. Keep in mind YOUR responsibility to adhere to UNC Charlotte's rules of Academic Integrity!   I'll also give you the opprtunity to do a brief "analysis" based on readings from The New York Times's sections on science and technology.

Each quiz will be worth 10 points for a total of 50 points. The midterm will be worth 15 points and the final will be worth 30. (Which means that you'll need to take notes and try to remember course content!!) I have allocated 5 points for participation which includes ATTENDANCE and other forms of interaction with me and your classmates.