Science and the Modern World: Introduction to the History of Science

This course surveys the history of science from the sixteenth century through the present day. It addresses science not just as a body of knowledge and methods but as a cultural activity that has shaped and been shaped by modern global history. Topics will range across physical sciences, life sciences, earth and environmental sciences, and social sciences. This course takes a global perspective, with emphasis on parallels, differences, and interconnections among ways of knowing nature in different places and times, as well as the role of specific materials, environments, technologies, and practical problems in the development of modern science.