Science in Crisis?

Catalog description

The title of this course uses the single word “crisis” to pose two overlapping questions: First, how do scientists cope with the threats to their credibility posed by the surge of populism and other expert-critical movements? And second, how do scientists respond to political, epidemiological, or other seemingly external crises that demand the production of timely knowledge? This course will begin to answer these entangled questions by unpacking the tools that scientists and other experts use to assert their credibility and tame crises. Then, we will consider the way that social movements—including “citizen scientists,” HIV/AIDS activists, and “biohackers”—use crises as opportunities to contest, mistrust, or reaffirm experts’ authority. Finally, we will study how these disputes are shaped by regulatory bureaucracies and the legal system. Throughout the course, students will apply concepts from the interdisciplinary field of science & technology studies (STS) to ongoing “crises” including climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the rise of artificial intelligence.