Course Description

Provides tools with which to better think about the relationship between science, scientific experts, citizens and what people think they know. We cover different cases in which claims about technical scientific facts interact, and often clash, with political and social arguments about those facts. Cases may include vaccination, anthropogenic climate change and what to do about it, and genetic engineering. For each case we first cover a 'primer' on the technical issues - for instance learning how a gene codes for a protein - so that after this course when you come across such material you'll be better able to correctly grasp the relevant points. But we also study the enduring tension between expertise and democratic populism, the distinction between risk and uncertainty, and whether ignorance is a lack of knowledge....or the wrong knowledge confidently held. While no one can become an expert after taking a single course, this course will help you better think about some of the most important issues of our time.
Course credit exclusions: SC/NATS 1760 6.00.