Reading Science/Understanding Science

Catalog description

How is science presented in the modern media? How does this shape the way we think about and understand scientific ideas and the scientific process? Focusing on the brain sciences, we will critically read several award-winning scientific works written for non-specialized audiences, including books by Dawkins, Gould, Pinker, and Sapolsky. We will also consider critiques of these works, as well as related shorter articles intended for wider audiences (e.g., from Scientific American). Finally we will examine several examples of "bad neurojournalism" in an attempt to understand what makes good and bad science reporting. No prerequisites; enrollment limited to 19 first year students.