Science, Technology and Society Courses

VIC207H1F
Genetic Technologies: Scientific Promises and Ethical Dilemmas
Professor Marga Vicedo
M 1-3

VIC245H1F
Science Wars
Professor Hakob Barseghyan
F 11-1

 

VIC301H1S
Public Communication in Science
Professor Emanuel Istrate
M 1-3

In this course we look at the ways in which scientific knowledge is communicated to the wider public, studying both the successes and the failures of scientists trying to do so. It is widely accepted that scientists must communicate their findings, and it is relatively easy to communicate these findings to other scientists. Communicating with the public, however, is more challenging for a number of reasons, including the complexity of modern science, lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of trust, the commercial interests of the owners of communication channels, the desire to provide certainty when there is none, etc. By learning from past mistakes in communicating science and by trying to understand the public better, this course aims to help students improve the ways in which the public can benefit from the tremendous successes of modern science.

VIC377H1S
Special Topics in Science, Technology and Society: Wearable Technology Through the Ages
Professor Lee Emrich
T 1-3

This class explores the modern term “wearable technology” as a cultural phenomenon connected to longer histories of embodiment. Course conversations query what is "technology" and how does the concept "wearable" operate as a site of interface with the "human"—but this interface is not socially or politically neutral—it's been debated and manipulated for millenia. The course will provide multiple analytic frames for analyzing wearable technology: media studies, fashion theory, and theories of subjectivity among others, and readings will range from early modern to modern texts and draw on multiple genres and media (news articles, research articles, the Bible, fashion photography, corporate discourse, plays, letters, philosophical treatises). Ultimately, the goal is to explore the theoretical and discursive and material entanglements of wearable technologies, questioning how these garments or accessories tug at the very threads composing our bodies and societies.

VIC452H1F
Science, Technology, & Society Internship
Professor Hakob Barseghyan
R 3-5

HPS courses are offered by the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST).

Eligible HPS courses are listed under the Science, Technology, and Society program requirements.

Course descriptions and information (including class times) may be found on the IHPST website.