Science and Popular Culture

ARHM 2343: Science and Humanities

Syllabus - Fall 2015

1 Course Information

Meeting Time: Tuesday, 7:00pm-9:45pm Meeting Location: FO 1.202 Instructor: Professor Matthew J. Brown ([email protected]) Oﬃce Hours: Monday & Tuesday, 5:00-6:00pm, JO 4.120, or by appointment Schedule an appointment: http://doodle.com/mattbrown 2 Course Description

This course will focus on portrayals of science in popular culture. Science is a process of research and inquiry, usually involving empirical evidence, which we will take to include natural, human, and social sciences as well as medical research and engineering. Popular culture includes fiction and non-fiction across all forms of media—such as printed text, art, film, television, comic books, and digital media—that is intended for a general audience. The reason to study representations of science and scientists in popular culture is threefold: it can help us gage the public understanding of science, it can inform us about the ideals we as a culture hold about science and its role in society, and it can help us understand the way that scientists and scientific institutions want to be understood. Furthermore, in this course, we will learn to think critically about science and its representation in each of these roles. 3 Objectives

3.1 General Education Objectives

• Critical thinking skills – Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions. • Communication skills – Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication. • Social responsibility – Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and global communities. • Teamwork – Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view.

3.2 ARHM 2343.501 Course Objectives

Students will learn:

• Critical thinking skills; to critically analyze and evaluate a variety of scientific and pop-cultural texts and artifacts (assessed via questions on the midterm and final exam) • Communication skills; to effectively express ideas and critical assessments of texts orally and in writing (assessed via contribution to class discussion, in-class presentation, and essay question on the final exam)

1 • Social responsibility; to exhibit an understanding of ethical, social, and political responsibilities of both scientists and of citizens in our scientifically advanced world (assessed via questions on the midterm and final exam) • Teamwork; to effectively express the analysis and evaluation of ways of knowing in collaborative group projects and discussion (assess via class discussion and group presentation)

4 Required Texts

4.1 Books

The following books are required reading

• The Island of Doctor Moreau by HG Wells • At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft • Feynman by Jim Ottaviani • Contact by Carl Sagan • Intuition by Allegra Goodman • A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking • Forty Signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Robinson

Books have been ordered at Oﬀ Campus Books, and likely cannot be found at the on-campus Follett University Bookstore. My preference is that you order the version of the books that are available there, or linked below via Amazon, so that we can refer to shared page numbers in class discussion. Hard copies are preferred for the same reason. You may use a distraction-free eReader version with prior approval of the instructor. Oﬀ Campus Books is a locally-owned business, and you should consider supporting it over ordering online. 4.2 Films

The following ﬁlms will need to be watched outside of class. I will make an eﬀort to schedule screenings for each of these movies prior to class.

• Real Genius (1986) by Martha Coolidge • Primer (2004) by Shane Carruth (Netﬂix) • Creation (2009) by John Amiel • Gorillas in the Mist (1988) by Michael Apted (optional)

The most economical way to watch any of these movies will be to check various streaming services. 5 Detailed Schedule

1. 8/25 - Introduction • Watch in class: Star Trek, “The Galileo Seven”; The Venture Brothers, “Careers in Science”

Unit: Representations of Scientists

2. 9/1 - The Mad Scientist • Read before class: The Island of Doctor Moreau by HG Wells • Watch in class: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog • Selected passages and clips for class: Frankenstein; Jekyll and Hyde the Musical; The Fly; Soon I Will Be Invincible; Pi; Fringe; Rick and Morty 3. 9/8 - The Nutty Professor

2 • Read before class: Jim Ottaviani, Feynman • Watch in class: Futurama, “Time Keeps on Slipping” • Selected passages and clips for class: IQ; The Nutty Professor; Back to the Future; Jurassic Park; Independence Day; The Venture Brothers; Richard Feynman; The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension; The Absent-Minded Professor 4. 9/15 - Scientist as Intrepid Explorer • Read before class: At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft • Selected passages and clips for class: Antarctic Expeditions (Scott, Amundsen, Shackleton); Cosmos; Outbreak; Star Trek; The Venture Brothers; Indiana Jones 5. 9/22 - The Nerd • Watch before class: Real Genius • Watch in class: Big Bang Theory, “Pilot” • Selected passages and clips for class: Weird Science; Honey I Shrunk the Kids; Goonies; Revenge of the Nerds; Spiderman; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; Dexter’s Laboratory 6. 9/29 - Women in Science • Read before class: Contact by Carl Sagan • Read / watch before class (optional): Gorillas in the Mist • Selected passages and clips for class: N.C.I.S; Bones; Big Bang Theory; Dignifying Science by Jim Ottaviani; Adventure Time; Bletchley Circle; X-Files; Emily Graslie; Amazing Spiderman; Jurassic Park; Thor 7. 10/6 - Midterm

Unit: The Scientiﬁc Process

8. 10/13 - Science as a Social Process • Read before class: Intuition by Allegra Goodman 9. 10/20 - Scientiﬁc Discovery as Serendipity • Watch before class: Primer • Selected passages and clips for class: Newton’s Apple; Poincare’s Bus; Kekule’s Ouroboros; Fleming’s Mold; NASA’s accidental warp drive 10. 10/27 - Science as Personal Journey • Watch in class: Creation 11. 11/3 - Misrepresentations and Irresponsibility in Science • Read before class: Leonard Sax, Why Gender Matters (selections) and Lise Eliot, “The Trouble with Sex Diﬀerences” • Revisit: Intution; Real Genius; Primer • Selected passages and clips for class: Media reports on science; Harry Harlowe; Robocop; Jurassic Park; Breaking Bad; Tuskeegee; HeLa; J. Marion Sims

Unit: Science in Society

12. 11/10 - Science as Religion / Myth • Read before class: Stephen Hawking, A Briefer History of Time • Watch in Class: Cosmos (Carl Sagan); Cosmos (Neil deGrasse Tyson) 13. 11/17 - Science and Nationalism • Read before class: Forty Signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Robinson part I (There will be a quiz) • Watch in Class: Copenhagen

3 • Selected passages and clips for class: 2010: The Year We Make Contact; Doctor Strangelove; J. Robert Oppenheimer 14. 11/24 - Fall break 15. 12/1 - Science Informing Politics • Finish reading before class: Forty Signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Robinson • Selected passages and clips for class: IPCC Report; Wonder Woman 16. 12/8 - Science Changing Culture • Read in class: Wonder Woman Archives (selections); William Moulton Marston, The Emotions of Normal People (selections)

6 Assignments

1. Attendance and participation (20%) – Quality and frequency of your in-class participation (this can be improved but not entirely substituted by attending oﬃce hours). Absences will lower this grade one letter grade per absence after the 2nd absence. (i.e., two free absences) 2. Midterm exam (20%) – Mainly checking to see whether you have done the reading and watching assignments and understood the major concepts from lecture and class discussion. 3. Show and tell (15%) – Bring an example of pop culture ﬁtting daily theme and critically analyze it. You can work together in pairs, and you are encouraged to do so. 5-8 minute presentation, with a bit of Q&A at the end. You’re strongly encouraged to consult with the professor ahead of time. 4. Final exam (30%) – Essay format, testing your ability to critically analyze texts and synthesize ideas from the course. 5. Quizzes (as needed) (15%) – To ensure you are keeping up with reading assignments. Not necessarily announced ahead of time.

All components must be completed in satisfactory manner in order to receive a passing grade in the course. 7 Course and Instructor Policies

7.1 Contacting the Instructor

Before you contact me, I suggest checking the syllabus, course website, and all handouts to see if the answer to your question is there. For more complex questions, you should see me in oﬃce hours or make an appointment. You can send me an email, but this is not a good way to get in touch with me about either trivial matters (which are almost certainly on the syllabus or best discussed in class) or diﬃcult issues (which should be discussed in person). I will not accept work or provide feedback via email. Email has generated many unreasonable expectations in our lives that we should all think more critically about, and I encourage you to do so. Of course, you should feel free to email me to remind me about something, or if you need to contact me urgently (if, for instance, you will miss an assignment due to a dire medical issue). If I do not reply to your email within 48 hours, please send me a reminder. 7.2 Late Work, Make-Up, and Completion

No late work or make-up exams will be allowed without consent of the professor prior to the due/exam date, except in situations where University policy requires it, or in case of truly dire circumstances. All non-optional assignments must be completed in satisfactory manner in order to receive a passing grade in the course.

7.3 Class Attendance

While reading and writing are crucial parts of the course, a central part of intellectual activity is in-person discussion. (Hence the continuing importance of talks and conferences in every academic ﬁeld.)

4 While class will occasionally involve bits of lecture, this is merely an instrument to a more well-informed discussion and other structured activities. Attendance is thus considered mandatory. Missed classes will count heavily against your participation grade, and egregious absenteeism will be grounds for an F in the course at the professor’s discretion. In-class assignments and activities likewise cannot be made up unless the professor agrees to it before the class is missed. Disruptive or extremely late arrivals or early departures will be considered absences. 7.4 Laptops and Other Devices

You should not use a laptop or tablet computer in this course during lecture or discussion, including for note-taking or reading purposes, unless you can demonstrate a compelling need for it. Likewise, you may not use a music player or headphones, unless they are attached to a hearing-assistive device approved by the instructor or the Office of Student AccessAbility. If you are given such an exception, it will be immediately and permanently revoked if you abuse the technology for off-topic purposes. The use of such devices can be a distraction to your classmates and instructor and a detriment to your own learning. Readings should be brought to class in the print version or printed out. Notes should be taken on paper and scanned or transcribed after class (transcribing handwritten notes is a fairly effective study method). Given the nature of the course, you should not have to take such copious notes as to require any extra speed afforded by typing them. This strict and paternalistic policy is a result of both personal experience and a close look at the psychological and pedagogical research on the pros and cons of laptop usage in class. Across every measure, the evidence speaks against indiscriminate use of laptops in class. For certain activities in-class, the instructor may request you to bring a laptop or to take it out and use it for that specific purpose. These will be specified by the instructor. 7.5 Classroom expectations

You are expected to have read the assignments before class, and it would be to your beneﬁt to also read them again after class. You are expected to bring a copy of assigned readings for each day’s class, and have them available to refer to. You are expected to listen respectfully to the professor and your fellow students, and participate in class discussions and activities. Clear failure to abide by these expectations will result in you being asked to leave the classroom and being counted absent for the day. 7.6 Tips on Forms of Address

It is appropriate and courteous to refer to your professors by the title of “Professor” or “Doctor” as in “Professor Brown” or “Dr. Brown,” though in some circles the latter connotes someone with an MD rather than a PhD. Unless you write for the New York Times, it is generally inappropriate to refer to your professor as “Mr.” or “Ms./Mrs./Miss.” (And unless they have specifically stated a preference for it, it is never appropriate to call an adult woman “Miss or Mrs.”) Having been educated in part in the informal academic climate of California, it would also be fine if you call me “Matt.” (Please don’t call me “Matthew,” only my mother does that.) Having also been educated in the South, I am fine being referred to in a formal fashion as well (and would be happy to refer to you formally if you prefer). 7.7 Other Stuff http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies A syllabus is not a suicide pact. This descriptions, timelines, and policies contained in this syllabus are subject to change in the interest of improving the quality of the course, at the discretion of the professor. Adequate notice will be provided for any changes.