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 communi- cation. • Social responsibility – Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and global communities.