Science in Space and Time: Where Science Happens

Catalog description

This course will focus on a range of different sites where science is produced, from the printing shops of the sixteenth century to the modern scientific laboratory, from botanical gardens to the ocean, and from astronomical observatories to computer simulations. By considering scientific production across these various sites at different moments in time, we will better understand what science is, how it works, and how it has changed. We will likewise consider not just the sites themselves but also the different geographic localities where they are found, and the ways in which geography and cultural difference affect the production of scientific knowledge. This course will combine historical, anthropological, sociological, and philosophical perspectives as we explore these topics.