Science on Trial

Catalog description

Universities, laboratories, and scientific journals are not the only places where questions of science are debated and settled; in the modern era, they are often decided in courts of law as well. In this seminar, through readings, discussion, and writing, we will focus on a range of examples in which scientific questions have been adjudicated in the courtroom. Questions to be considered are: How are judges or juries supposed to evaluate questions of science? Who decides what counts as science, or what counts as scientific consensus? What counts as expertise, and what counts as evidence when it comes to deciding a case that hinges on questions of science? Are legal facts ever different from scientific facts? By the end of the course, students will have a new understanding of the role of science in the modern world and the complicated intersections between science, society, and the law. Offered as HSTY 213 and POSC 213 . Counts as a Communication Intensive course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Counts as a Moral & Ethical Reasoning course.