Curiosity: The Literature and Science of Knowing Too Much

Catalog description

Though it now seems a positive character trait, curiosity was long considered a dangerous vice. What happened to bring about such a dramatic change in how curiosity was valued? What might make this desire to know seem wither dangerous or promising? This class places these questions at the center of its exploration of science and literature. We will explore the lives of historical scientists alongside literature's myriad stories of men and women who knew too much, including spies, mad scientists, and nosy children, from Adam and Eve and Alice in Wonderland to Doctor Faustus and Doctor Frankenstein. (ENGL-PST)