STHS 200 | History of Modern Science and Technology

Students in this course analyze the history of the physical and biological sciences since 1800, paying special attention to the reciprocal relationship between scientific knowledge and social context. Beginning with the social and intellectual upheaval of the French and Haitian Revolutions, this course highlights how an historical approach can inform our understanding of the triumphs and tragedies of scientific and technological development. Subjects of the course may include creationism, natural theology, evolution, the origin and demise of the electromagnetic worldview, atomic theory, big science, and genetics.