In this course, we will examine the concealment of scientific knowledge from the Scientific Revolution to present day. Although science is regularly described as a public good, it has often been a private affair. Why have various scientists, institutions, governments, and media outlets chosen to restrict the flow of scientific knowledge? How have their efforts fared in practice, and what factors explain their successes or failures? More generally, how does our picture of modern science change if we highlight work done behind closed doors? This First-Year Seminar will explore these questions through case studies on alchemy, trade secrecy, nuclear physics, and climate change denial. Students will work with formerly classified sources during several weeks of the term.
×
FYS: Secret Science AS.001.198 (01)
In this course, we will examine the concealment of scientific knowledge from the Scientific Revolution to present day. Although science is regularly described as a public good, it has often been a private affair. Why have various scientists, institutions, governments, and media outlets chosen to restrict the flow of scientific knowledge? How have their efforts fared in practice, and what factors explain their successes or failures? More generally, how does our picture of modern science change if we highlight work done behind closed doors? This First-Year Seminar will explore these questions through case studies on alchemy, trade secrecy, nuclear physics, and climate change denial. Students will work with formerly classified sources during several weeks of the term.
Days/Times: MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Instructor: McManus, Alison L
Room: Gilman 134
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.001.199 (01)
FYS: Technology and Globalization
T 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Gilman 300
Fall 2023
In times of pandemic, trade war, and restrictions on the export of strategic technologies, it has become common to predict the ‘death of globalization.’ Such predictions are hardly new, however, and neither are the protectionist technology policies that are currently in vogue. In this First-Year Seminar, we will examine how technology historically has both helped connect people in different parts of the world and contributed to division and inequality at national and global levels. Focusing on the period from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, we will pay special attention to the impact of transportation and ICT technologies ranging from the telegraph and container ship to the airplane and the internet. But we will also consider the consequences of globalization and technological change in areas such as mining and agriculture, taking into account the perspectives of a variety of actors including multinational enterprises, governments, standard-setting scientists and engineers, and the anti-globalization movement. The local effects of globalization will be discussed on a class trip to the Baltimore Museum of Industry, and students will have the opportunity to develop a research project on a topic of special interest to them in consultation with the instructor. Course readings will be made available on Canvas; they include both original historical sources and studies by historians and social scientists.
×
FYS: Technology and Globalization AS.001.199 (01)
In times of pandemic, trade war, and restrictions on the export of strategic technologies, it has become common to predict the ‘death of globalization.’ Such predictions are hardly new, however, and neither are the protectionist technology policies that are currently in vogue. In this First-Year Seminar, we will examine how technology historically has both helped connect people in different parts of the world and contributed to division and inequality at national and global levels. Focusing on the period from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, we will pay special attention to the impact of transportation and ICT technologies ranging from the telegraph and container ship to the airplane and the internet. But we will also consider the consequences of globalization and technological change in areas such as mining and agriculture, taking into account the perspectives of a variety of actors including multinational enterprises, governments, standard-setting scientists and engineers, and the anti-globalization movement. The local effects of globalization will be discussed on a class trip to the Baltimore Museum of Industry, and students will have the opportunity to develop a research project on a topic of special interest to them in consultation with the instructor. Course readings will be made available on Canvas; they include both original historical sources and studies by historians and social scientists.
Days/Times: T 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Room: Gilman 300
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.105 (01)
History of Medicine
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Ragab, Ahmed
Maryland 110
Fall 2023
Course provides an introduction to health and healing in the ancient world, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Topics include religion and medicine; medicine in the Islamicate world; women and healing; patients and practitioners.
×
History of Medicine AS.140.105 (01)
Course provides an introduction to health and healing in the ancient world, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Topics include religion and medicine; medicine in the Islamicate world; women and healing; patients and practitioners.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Instructor: Ragab, Ahmed
Room: Maryland 110
Status: Open
Seats Available: 5/23
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.105 (02)
History of Medicine
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Ragab, Ahmed
Maryland 110
Fall 2023
Course provides an introduction to health and healing in the ancient world, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Topics include religion and medicine; medicine in the Islamicate world; women and healing; patients and practitioners.
×
History of Medicine AS.140.105 (02)
Course provides an introduction to health and healing in the ancient world, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Topics include religion and medicine; medicine in the Islamicate world; women and healing; patients and practitioners.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Instructor: Ragab, Ahmed
Room: Maryland 110
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/23
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.105 (03)
History of Medicine
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 9:00AM - 9:50AM
Ragab, Ahmed
Maryland 110
Fall 2023
Course provides an introduction to health and healing in the ancient world, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Topics include religion and medicine; medicine in the Islamicate world; women and healing; patients and practitioners.
×
History of Medicine AS.140.105 (03)
Course provides an introduction to health and healing in the ancient world, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Topics include religion and medicine; medicine in the Islamicate world; women and healing; patients and practitioners.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 9:00AM - 9:50AM
Instructor: Ragab, Ahmed
Room: Maryland 110
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/23
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.238 (01)
A History of the Mind Sciences
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Li, Lan
Gilman 119
Fall 2023
This class offers a critical history of the mind sciences, examining how fields such as neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry developed through a variety of empirical methods and technologies. It opens a window into how scientists, philosophers, medical practitioners, writers, patients, and physiologists constructed theories of cognition, sensation, and the emotions. What were the challenges in locating, opening, and reading the mind? Why? How? To what ends did these impulses serve? The core reading for this class will derive from the history of medicine, history of science, science studies, disability studies, medical anthropology, as well as recent publications in the mind sciences. Students will learn about the history of using animal models to inform human cognition and the consequences of sensations that failed to fit neat categories of sensing, for instance. We will also explore the relationship between behaviorist and cognitive sciences, the rise of fMRI, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and psychopharmaceutical randomized control trials. We will further interrogate the politics of knowing the mind across centuries of experimentation and contemplation in different historical and cultural contexts.
×
A History of the Mind Sciences AS.140.238 (01)
This class offers a critical history of the mind sciences, examining how fields such as neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry developed through a variety of empirical methods and technologies. It opens a window into how scientists, philosophers, medical practitioners, writers, patients, and physiologists constructed theories of cognition, sensation, and the emotions. What were the challenges in locating, opening, and reading the mind? Why? How? To what ends did these impulses serve? The core reading for this class will derive from the history of medicine, history of science, science studies, disability studies, medical anthropology, as well as recent publications in the mind sciences. Students will learn about the history of using animal models to inform human cognition and the consequences of sensations that failed to fit neat categories of sensing, for instance. We will also explore the relationship between behaviorist and cognitive sciences, the rise of fMRI, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and psychopharmaceutical randomized control trials. We will further interrogate the politics of knowing the mind across centuries of experimentation and contemplation in different historical and cultural contexts.
Days/Times: TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Li, Lan
Room: Gilman 119
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/29
PosTag(s): BEHB-SOCSCI
AS.140.321 (01)
Scientific Revolution
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Allen, Meagan Selby; Principe, Lawrence
Hodson 210
Fall 2023
How did the Western understanding of nature change between 1500 and 1720? We'll study the period through the works of astronomers and astrologers, naturalists and magi, natural philosophers and experimentalists, doctors and alchemists & many others.
×
Scientific Revolution AS.140.321 (01)
How did the Western understanding of nature change between 1500 and 1720? We'll study the period through the works of astronomers and astrologers, naturalists and magi, natural philosophers and experimentalists, doctors and alchemists & many others.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Allen, Meagan Selby; Principe, Lawrence
Room: Hodson 210
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/20
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.321 (02)
Scientific Revolution
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Allen, Meagan Selby; Principe, Lawrence
Hodson 210
Fall 2023
How did the Western understanding of nature change between 1500 and 1720? We'll study the period through the works of astronomers and astrologers, naturalists and magi, natural philosophers and experimentalists, doctors and alchemists & many others.
×
Scientific Revolution AS.140.321 (02)
How did the Western understanding of nature change between 1500 and 1720? We'll study the period through the works of astronomers and astrologers, naturalists and magi, natural philosophers and experimentalists, doctors and alchemists & many others.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Allen, Meagan Selby; Principe, Lawrence
Room: Hodson 210
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/20
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.335 (01)
Photography in Science and Medicine (19th Century-Present)
MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Gilman 300
Fall 2023
How did photography change science and medicine, and vice versa? This course explores how and why photography and related imaging techniques became central to a broad variety of fields of science and medicine, ranging from anthropology and astronomy to embryology, nuclear physics, and radiology. It also considers how these techniques were created in the first place and to what extent they affected the standing of photography as an “art-science.” Central themes will include (among others) the status and objectivity of photographic evidence; the historical relationships between technical, scientific, and artistic change; the role of photography in disseminating scientific and medical knowledge and (mis)information; the racial and gender biases of scientific and medical photography; and photography’s use as a tool of scientific exploration, measurement, and surveillance. Students will be developing their own research projects in consultation with the instructor.
×
Photography in Science and Medicine (19th Century-Present) AS.140.335 (01)
How did photography change science and medicine, and vice versa? This course explores how and why photography and related imaging techniques became central to a broad variety of fields of science and medicine, ranging from anthropology and astronomy to embryology, nuclear physics, and radiology. It also considers how these techniques were created in the first place and to what extent they affected the standing of photography as an “art-science.” Central themes will include (among others) the status and objectivity of photographic evidence; the historical relationships between technical, scientific, and artistic change; the role of photography in disseminating scientific and medical knowledge and (mis)information; the racial and gender biases of scientific and medical photography; and photography’s use as a tool of scientific exploration, measurement, and surveillance. Students will be developing their own research projects in consultation with the instructor.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Room: Gilman 300
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.347 (01)
History Of Genetics
T 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Comfort, Nathaniel
Gilman 186
Fall 2023
Intellectual and social history of the gene concept, including Mendelism, eugenics, medical genetics, DNA, genomics, and personalized medicine.
×
History Of Genetics AS.140.347 (01)
Intellectual and social history of the gene concept, including Mendelism, eugenics, medical genetics, DNA, genomics, and personalized medicine.
Days/Times: T 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Instructor: Comfort, Nathaniel
Room: Gilman 186
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/20
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.358 (01)
Shaping the Future of the City: Science, Technology & International Expositions 1850 to the present
M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Kargon, Robert H
Gilman 300
Fall 2023
This research seminar will examine how urban elites attempted to shape public opinion about the future of their city using world’s fairs (international expositions) in their words “to educate” the population about trends and possibilities. Expositions from 1851 until the present will be examined. Each student will be asked (in consultation with the faculty) to write a research paper in lieu of a final examination. Lectures, discussion, films.
×
Shaping the Future of the City: Science, Technology & International Expositions 1850 to the present AS.140.358 (01)
This research seminar will examine how urban elites attempted to shape public opinion about the future of their city using world’s fairs (international expositions) in their words “to educate” the population about trends and possibilities. Expositions from 1851 until the present will be examined. Each student will be asked (in consultation with the faculty) to write a research paper in lieu of a final examination. Lectures, discussion, films.
Days/Times: M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Kargon, Robert H
Room: Gilman 300
Status: Open
Seats Available: 10/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.360 (01)
War and the Environment
MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
McManus, Alison L
Gilman 186
Fall 2023
How have wars shaped the natural world, and vice versa? How have affected communities responded to environmental harm? This course explores the environmental history of warfare from the 18th century through the 20th century. It interrogates the relationship between imperialism, nation-building, and environmental destruction, while asking how the natural world might or might not have influenced the outcome of these military conflicts. The course demonstrates how warfare drew attention to environmental vulnerabilities, both on a local and a global scale. Topics include resource extraction in Euro-American empires, WWII recycling campaigns, ecological violence in the Vietnam War, and nuclear weapons testing.
×
War and the Environment AS.140.360 (01)
How have wars shaped the natural world, and vice versa? How have affected communities responded to environmental harm? This course explores the environmental history of warfare from the 18th century through the 20th century. It interrogates the relationship between imperialism, nation-building, and environmental destruction, while asking how the natural world might or might not have influenced the outcome of these military conflicts. The course demonstrates how warfare drew attention to environmental vulnerabilities, both on a local and a global scale. Topics include resource extraction in Euro-American empires, WWII recycling campaigns, ecological violence in the Vietnam War, and nuclear weapons testing.
Days/Times: MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: McManus, Alison L
Room: Gilman 186
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/20
PosTag(s): INST-GLOBAL
AS.140.363 (01)
Cities of the World: Urbanization and the Environment in the Nineteenth Century
TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Mukherjee, Urna
Gilman 377
Fall 2023
The nineteenth century witnessed a dramatic change in the dynamic of urbanization, as the share of the world’s urban population doubled from 6.6 per cent in 1800 to 12 per cent in 1900. Cities around the world were being built and rebuilt during this period with the aim of creating productive urban spaces by bringing about transformations in urban infrastructure like water supply, sanitation engineering, architecture, zoning and street planning, transportation engineering, and so forth. This seminar will survey the transnational history of the development and transformation of cities around the world, including in the United States of America, and their environments during the nineteenth century. The histories of these cities are intimately linked with both the natural environment surrounding them and the communities living and building on them, and we will explore a different city every week with the help of different kind of media, like literary fiction, film, maps, newspaper articles, etc.
×
Cities of the World: Urbanization and the Environment in the Nineteenth Century AS.140.363 (01)
The nineteenth century witnessed a dramatic change in the dynamic of urbanization, as the share of the world’s urban population doubled from 6.6 per cent in 1800 to 12 per cent in 1900. Cities around the world were being built and rebuilt during this period with the aim of creating productive urban spaces by bringing about transformations in urban infrastructure like water supply, sanitation engineering, architecture, zoning and street planning, transportation engineering, and so forth. This seminar will survey the transnational history of the development and transformation of cities around the world, including in the United States of America, and their environments during the nineteenth century. The histories of these cities are intimately linked with both the natural environment surrounding them and the communities living and building on them, and we will explore a different city every week with the help of different kind of media, like literary fiction, film, maps, newspaper articles, etc.
Days/Times: TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: Mukherjee, Urna
Room: Gilman 377
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/18
PosTag(s): INST-GLOBAL, ENVS-MAJOR, ENVS-MINOR
AS.140.367 (01)
International Development in Action: America’s Cold War Technical Cooperation in East Asia
MW 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Lee, Juyoung
Gilman 300
Fall 2023
Technical cooperation has been one of the most favored formats of international development because it aims to provide internal capacity for future development. Nevertheless, technical cooperation has been a site of political conflicts where different countries, social groups, capital funds, forms of knowledge, expertise, and opportunities collide. This course critically analyzes the political, diplomatic, social, and cultural surroundings of technical cooperation projects between the United States and East Asia during the second half of the 20th century. The course has three parts, each focusing on 1) theoretical and conceptual approaches to technical cooperation projects in East Asia, 2) different stakeholders, and 3) specific examples that display how the projects unfolded in real-life situations. Throughout the course, students will analyze various formats of historical sources such as photography, diary, correspondence, pamphlet, interview transcripts, and more!
×
International Development in Action: America’s Cold War Technical Cooperation in East Asia AS.140.367 (01)
Technical cooperation has been one of the most favored formats of international development because it aims to provide internal capacity for future development. Nevertheless, technical cooperation has been a site of political conflicts where different countries, social groups, capital funds, forms of knowledge, expertise, and opportunities collide. This course critically analyzes the political, diplomatic, social, and cultural surroundings of technical cooperation projects between the United States and East Asia during the second half of the 20th century. The course has three parts, each focusing on 1) theoretical and conceptual approaches to technical cooperation projects in East Asia, 2) different stakeholders, and 3) specific examples that display how the projects unfolded in real-life situations. Throughout the course, students will analyze various formats of historical sources such as photography, diary, correspondence, pamphlet, interview transcripts, and more!
Days/Times: MW 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Instructor: Lee, Juyoung
Room: Gilman 300
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/18
PosTag(s): INST-CP, INST-GLOBAL
AS.140.386 (01)
Politics, Technology and the Media: 1800 to the present
W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Ginsberg, Benjamin; Kargon, Robert H
Krieger 180
Fall 2023
This seminar will explore scientific-technological innovations and how they affected politics and communication in the United States from the introduction of steam railways and boats, the newspaper, the telegraph, telephone, photography, radio, the movies, television, and the digital computer. In lieu of a final examination, each student will be asked to write a research paper in consultation with the faculty. Lectures, discussions, films.
×
Politics, Technology and the Media: 1800 to the present AS.140.386 (01)
This seminar will explore scientific-technological innovations and how they affected politics and communication in the United States from the introduction of steam railways and boats, the newspaper, the telegraph, telephone, photography, radio, the movies, television, and the digital computer. In lieu of a final examination, each student will be asked to write a research paper in consultation with the faculty. Lectures, discussions, films.
Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Ginsberg, Benjamin; Kargon, Robert H
Room: Krieger 180
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/15
PosTag(s): INST-AP
AS.140.411 (01)
Senior Research Seminar
Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Fall 2023
For History of Science, Medicine, and Technology majors preparing a senior honors thesis.
×
Senior Research Seminar AS.140.411 (01)
For History of Science, Medicine, and Technology majors preparing a senior honors thesis.
Days/Times:
Instructor: Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 14/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.040.420 (04)
Classics Research Lab: Race in Antiquity Project (RAP)
W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Pandey, Nandini
Greenhouse 000
Spring 2024
How did ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean basin (Greece, Rome, Egypt, Persia, Carthage) understand and represent their own and others’ identities and ethnic differences? How did notions and practices around race, citizenship, and immigration evolve from antiquity to the present? How have culture and politics informed artistic, literary, and museum representations of ethnic ‘others’ over time, along with the historical development of ethnography, biological science, and pseudo-sciences of race? What role did “Classics” (the study of Greco-Roman cultures) play in modern colonialism, racecraft, and inequality? And what role can it play in unmaking their legacies, through the ongoing Black Classicism movement, the practice of Critical Race Theory, and the development of more global and interconnective approaches to premodern cultures? RAP provides an opportunity for Hopkins undergraduates and graduate students from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds to engage in project-based research toward building an open-access, grant-winning educational resource (OER) on “Race in Antiquity.” Participants learn, share, and practice advanced research methods; examine and discuss the history and modern implications of the teaching and study of their fields; test-drive and collaboratively edit OER pilot materials; and create new content based on their own research, for eventual digital publication.
×
Classics Research Lab: Race in Antiquity Project (RAP) AS.040.420 (04)
How did ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean basin (Greece, Rome, Egypt, Persia, Carthage) understand and represent their own and others’ identities and ethnic differences? How did notions and practices around race, citizenship, and immigration evolve from antiquity to the present? How have culture and politics informed artistic, literary, and museum representations of ethnic ‘others’ over time, along with the historical development of ethnography, biological science, and pseudo-sciences of race? What role did “Classics” (the study of Greco-Roman cultures) play in modern colonialism, racecraft, and inequality? And what role can it play in unmaking their legacies, through the ongoing Black Classicism movement, the practice of Critical Race Theory, and the development of more global and interconnective approaches to premodern cultures? RAP provides an opportunity for Hopkins undergraduates and graduate students from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds to engage in project-based research toward building an open-access, grant-winning educational resource (OER) on “Race in Antiquity.” Participants learn, share, and practice advanced research methods; examine and discuss the history and modern implications of the teaching and study of their fields; test-drive and collaboratively edit OER pilot materials; and create new content based on their own research, for eventual digital publication.
Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Pandey, Nandini
Room: Greenhouse 000
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/15
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.040.420 (05)
Classics Research Lab: A world of orators: speaking in public in the Roman empire
M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Roller, Matthew
Gilman 108
Spring 2024
This research-based Lab course will involve careful reading of a variety of Roman texts of the early empire, aiming to catalogue every instance of public speech and of the orators who speak in public. This cataloguing project, perhaps eventually resulting in an online database, will include historical and comparative readings about public speech as a feature of society.
×
Classics Research Lab: A world of orators: speaking in public in the Roman empire AS.040.420 (05)
This research-based Lab course will involve careful reading of a variety of Roman texts of the early empire, aiming to catalogue every instance of public speech and of the orators who speak in public. This cataloguing project, perhaps eventually resulting in an online database, will include historical and comparative readings about public speech as a feature of society.
Days/Times: M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Roller, Matthew
Room: Gilman 108
Status: Open
Seats Available: 6/10
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.106 (01)
History of Modern Medicine
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 9:00AM - 9:50AM
White, Alexandre Ilani Rein
Krieger 170
Spring 2024
The history of medicine and public health from the Enlightenment to the present, with emphasis on ideas, science, practices, practitioners, and institutions, and the relationship of these to the broad social context.
×
History of Modern Medicine AS.140.106 (01)
The history of medicine and public health from the Enlightenment to the present, with emphasis on ideas, science, practices, practitioners, and institutions, and the relationship of these to the broad social context.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 9:00AM - 9:50AM
Instructor: White, Alexandre Ilani Rein
Room: Krieger 170
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/20
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.106 (02)
History of Modern Medicine
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
White, Alexandre Ilani Rein
Krieger 170
Spring 2024
The history of medicine and public health from the Enlightenment to the present, with emphasis on ideas, science, practices, practitioners, and institutions, and the relationship of these to the broad social context.
×
History of Modern Medicine AS.140.106 (02)
The history of medicine and public health from the Enlightenment to the present, with emphasis on ideas, science, practices, practitioners, and institutions, and the relationship of these to the broad social context.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Instructor: White, Alexandre Ilani Rein
Room: Krieger 170
Status: Open
Seats Available: 5/20
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.106 (03)
History of Modern Medicine
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
White, Alexandre Ilani Rein
Krieger 170
Spring 2024
The history of medicine and public health from the Enlightenment to the present, with emphasis on ideas, science, practices, practitioners, and institutions, and the relationship of these to the broad social context.
×
History of Modern Medicine AS.140.106 (03)
The history of medicine and public health from the Enlightenment to the present, with emphasis on ideas, science, practices, practitioners, and institutions, and the relationship of these to the broad social context.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: White, Alexandre Ilani Rein
Room: Krieger 170
Status: Open
Seats Available: 5/20
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.233 (01)
Science and Religion: A Complicated History?
MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Allen, Meagan Selby
Gilman 377
Spring 2024
Religion is often portrayed as being at odds with science. From Galileo’s treatment by the Roman Inquisition to contemporary Creationism museums, we are told that religious institutions do not support science. Likewise, religious people don’t make good scientists – or do they? Is religion really the thorn in the side of science that so many claim it is? In this class, we will discover the interwoven history between scientific practice and religion, beginning with the atomism and humoral theories of the Ancient Greeks and culminating in 21st century debates about stem cells and cloning. Many of the great scientific minds were also deeply religious – how did their beliefs shape their practice of science and approach to the natural world? Is religion truly antithetical to scientific practice? And if not, why do we so readily assume that it is?
×
Science and Religion: A Complicated History? AS.140.233 (01)
Religion is often portrayed as being at odds with science. From Galileo’s treatment by the Roman Inquisition to contemporary Creationism museums, we are told that religious institutions do not support science. Likewise, religious people don’t make good scientists – or do they? Is religion really the thorn in the side of science that so many claim it is? In this class, we will discover the interwoven history between scientific practice and religion, beginning with the atomism and humoral theories of the Ancient Greeks and culminating in 21st century debates about stem cells and cloning. Many of the great scientific minds were also deeply religious – how did their beliefs shape their practice of science and approach to the natural world? Is religion truly antithetical to scientific practice? And if not, why do we so readily assume that it is?
Days/Times: MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: Allen, Meagan Selby
Room: Gilman 377
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/25
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.302 (01)
Rise of Modern Science
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
McManus, Alison L
Gilman 132
Spring 2024
This lecture-based course surveys major scientific developments from the mid-18th century to present day, with a focus on the physical and biological sciences. These 250+ years witnessed significant transformations in modern scientific disciplines. The scale, scope, fame, and footprint of research expanded dramatically, with significant consequences for industrial development, environmental health, and the waging of war. Topics of study include the chemical revolution, evolutionary theory, quantum physics, the military-industrial complex, climate science, genetics, and biotechnology. Throughout the course, students will evaluate the social impact of scientific developments and remain attentive to the political, economic, and technological factors that facilitated the global expansion of modern science.
×
Rise of Modern Science AS.140.302 (01)
This lecture-based course surveys major scientific developments from the mid-18th century to present day, with a focus on the physical and biological sciences. These 250+ years witnessed significant transformations in modern scientific disciplines. The scale, scope, fame, and footprint of research expanded dramatically, with significant consequences for industrial development, environmental health, and the waging of war. Topics of study include the chemical revolution, evolutionary theory, quantum physics, the military-industrial complex, climate science, genetics, and biotechnology. Throughout the course, students will evaluate the social impact of scientific developments and remain attentive to the political, economic, and technological factors that facilitated the global expansion of modern science.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: McManus, Alison L
Room: Gilman 132
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/20
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.302 (02)
Rise of Modern Science
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
McManus, Alison L
Gilman 132
Spring 2024
This lecture-based course surveys major scientific developments from the mid-18th century to present day, with a focus on the physical and biological sciences. These 250+ years witnessed significant transformations in modern scientific disciplines. The scale, scope, fame, and footprint of research expanded dramatically, with significant consequences for industrial development, environmental health, and the waging of war. Topics of study include the chemical revolution, evolutionary theory, quantum physics, the military-industrial complex, climate science, genetics, and biotechnology. Throughout the course, students will evaluate the social impact of scientific developments and remain attentive to the political, economic, and technological factors that facilitated the global expansion of modern science.
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Rise of Modern Science AS.140.302 (02)
This lecture-based course surveys major scientific developments from the mid-18th century to present day, with a focus on the physical and biological sciences. These 250+ years witnessed significant transformations in modern scientific disciplines. The scale, scope, fame, and footprint of research expanded dramatically, with significant consequences for industrial development, environmental health, and the waging of war. Topics of study include the chemical revolution, evolutionary theory, quantum physics, the military-industrial complex, climate science, genetics, and biotechnology. Throughout the course, students will evaluate the social impact of scientific developments and remain attentive to the political, economic, and technological factors that facilitated the global expansion of modern science.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: McManus, Alison L
Room: Gilman 132
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/20
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.312 (01)
The Politics of Science in America
W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Ginsberg, Benjamin; Kargon, Robert H
Gilman 300
Spring 2024
This course examines the relations of the scientific and technical enterprise and government in the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries. Topics will include the funding of research and development, public health, national defense, etc. Case studies will include the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic, the Depression-era Science Advisory Board, the founding of the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, the institution of the President’s Science Advisor, the failure of the Superconducting Supercollider, the Hubble Space Telescope, the covid pandemic, etc.
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The Politics of Science in America AS.140.312 (01)
This course examines the relations of the scientific and technical enterprise and government in the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries. Topics will include the funding of research and development, public health, national defense, etc. Case studies will include the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic, the Depression-era Science Advisory Board, the founding of the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, the institution of the President’s Science Advisor, the failure of the Superconducting Supercollider, the Hubble Space Telescope, the covid pandemic, etc.
Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Ginsberg, Benjamin; Kargon, Robert H
Room: Gilman 300
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/15
PosTag(s): INST-AP, MSCH-HUM
AS.140.330 (01)
Scientists or Swindlers: Alchemy from Antiquity to the Scientific Revolution
MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Allen, Meagan Selby
Gilman 300
Spring 2024
This class will cover the history alchemy from its Greco-Egyptian and Arabic roots, through its popularization in the European Middle Ages, to its zenith in the Early Modern period. Using both primary and secondary sources, students will see how alchemy, rather than being a mystical quest or nothing more than the desire to turn lead into gold, was in fact a complex system of belief about the natural world and the generation of materials, both organic and inorganic. Reading works by historical alchemists such as Roger Bacon, Paul of Taranto, Paracelsus, and others, students will understand how alchemy was incorporated into numerous intellectual and practical disciplines, including metallurgy, medical theory, pharmacology, natural philosophy, and even theology. At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to answer: what role did the translation movements and cross-cultural exchanges play in the development of European alchemy? In what ways were (al)chemical theories different than modern chemistry? And in what ways are they the same? How do technology and culture drive changes in scientific theories? All majors are welcome, although students may find that a high-school level understanding of general chemistry will be helpful.
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Scientists or Swindlers: Alchemy from Antiquity to the Scientific Revolution AS.140.330 (01)
This class will cover the history alchemy from its Greco-Egyptian and Arabic roots, through its popularization in the European Middle Ages, to its zenith in the Early Modern period. Using both primary and secondary sources, students will see how alchemy, rather than being a mystical quest or nothing more than the desire to turn lead into gold, was in fact a complex system of belief about the natural world and the generation of materials, both organic and inorganic. Reading works by historical alchemists such as Roger Bacon, Paul of Taranto, Paracelsus, and others, students will understand how alchemy was incorporated into numerous intellectual and practical disciplines, including metallurgy, medical theory, pharmacology, natural philosophy, and even theology. At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to answer: what role did the translation movements and cross-cultural exchanges play in the development of European alchemy? In what ways were (al)chemical theories different than modern chemistry? And in what ways are they the same? How do technology and culture drive changes in scientific theories? All majors are welcome, although students may find that a high-school level understanding of general chemistry will be helpful.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Allen, Meagan Selby
Room: Gilman 300
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/15
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.333 (01)
The Idea of the Artificial Human in History
M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Kargon, Robert H
Maryland 201
Spring 2024
This course will explore the ancient idea of the artificial human (“human-made human”) from the Renaissance to the 21st century, focusing on its relationship to the prevalent scientific/philosophical/religious views of the time. Readings will include fictional classics such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, H.G. Wells’s Island of Dr. Moreau, and Karel Capek’s R.U.R., as well as essays by scientists and philosophers. Readings, films, discussions, lectures.
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The Idea of the Artificial Human in History AS.140.333 (01)
This course will explore the ancient idea of the artificial human (“human-made human”) from the Renaissance to the 21st century, focusing on its relationship to the prevalent scientific/philosophical/religious views of the time. Readings will include fictional classics such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, H.G. Wells’s Island of Dr. Moreau, and Karel Capek’s R.U.R., as well as essays by scientists and philosophers. Readings, films, discussions, lectures.
Days/Times: M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Kargon, Robert H
Room: Maryland 201
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/15
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.356 (01)
Man vs. Machine: Resistance to New Technology since the Industrial Revolution
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Gilman 300
Spring 2024
This course analyzes various episodes of “luddism” in the history of science and technology, from the destruction of textile machinery in the early 1800s up to recent controversies about robots, vaccines, and AI chatbots. What explains why different groups of actors did (or did not) resist the introduction of new technologies, ranging from the bicycle and the automobile to the nuclear energy plant? What types of fears did these technologies arouse? What can history teach us about the recurring concern that technological innovation might destroy more jobs than it generates? These are some of the themes we will be examining in this seminar on the basis of research presentations and classroom discussions of primary and secondary historical sources.
×
Man vs. Machine: Resistance to New Technology since the Industrial Revolution AS.140.356 (01)
This course analyzes various episodes of “luddism” in the history of science and technology, from the destruction of textile machinery in the early 1800s up to recent controversies about robots, vaccines, and AI chatbots. What explains why different groups of actors did (or did not) resist the introduction of new technologies, ranging from the bicycle and the automobile to the nuclear energy plant? What types of fears did these technologies arouse? What can history teach us about the recurring concern that technological innovation might destroy more jobs than it generates? These are some of the themes we will be examining in this seminar on the basis of research presentations and classroom discussions of primary and secondary historical sources.
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Room: Gilman 300
Status: Open
Seats Available: 7/15
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM
AS.140.382 (01)
Health and Healing in Early-Modern England
F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Fissell, Mary E
Hodson 303
Spring 2024
This course explores health and society in England, 1500 to 1800 including healing practices at all levels of society, concepts of health and illness, patient experiences, and patterns of disease. Recommended Course Background: At least one course in History or History of Science, Medicine, and Technology.
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Health and Healing in Early-Modern England AS.140.382 (01)
This course explores health and society in England, 1500 to 1800 including healing practices at all levels of society, concepts of health and illness, patient experiences, and patterns of disease. Recommended Course Background: At least one course in History or History of Science, Medicine, and Technology.
Days/Times: F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Fissell, Mary E
Room: Hodson 303
Status: Open
Seats Available: 8/18
PosTag(s): INST-GLOBAL, MSCH-HUM
AS.140.411 (01)
Senior Research Seminar
Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Spring 2024
For History of Science, Medicine, and Technology majors preparing a senior honors thesis.
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Senior Research Seminar AS.140.411 (01)
For History of Science, Medicine, and Technology majors preparing a senior honors thesis.
Days/Times:
Instructor: Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/5
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.412 (01)
Research Seminar
Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Spring 2024
Departmental Majors Writing a Senior Thesis Only
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Research Seminar AS.140.412 (01)
Departmental Majors Writing a Senior Thesis Only
Days/Times:
Instructor: Mercelis, Joris Hans Angele
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 5/5
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.360.305 (01)
Introduction to Computational Methods for the Humanities
TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Lippincott, Tom; Sirin Ryan, Hale
Gilman 55
Spring 2024
This course introduces basic computational techniques in the context of empirical humanistic scholarship. Topics covered include the command-line, basic Python programming, and experimental design. While illustrative examples are drawn from humanistic domains, the primary focus is on methods: those with specific domains in mind should be aware that such applied research is welcome and exciting, but will largely be their responsibility beyond the confines of the course. Students will come away with tangible understanding of how to cast simple humanistic questions as empirical hypotheses, ground and test these hypotheses computationally, and justify the choices made while doing so. No previous programming experience is required.
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Introduction to Computational Methods for the Humanities AS.360.305 (01)
This course introduces basic computational techniques in the context of empirical humanistic scholarship. Topics covered include the command-line, basic Python programming, and experimental design. While illustrative examples are drawn from humanistic domains, the primary focus is on methods: those with specific domains in mind should be aware that such applied research is welcome and exciting, but will largely be their responsibility beyond the confines of the course. Students will come away with tangible understanding of how to cast simple humanistic questions as empirical hypotheses, ground and test these hypotheses computationally, and justify the choices made while doing so. No previous programming experience is required.
Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Lippincott, Tom; Sirin Ryan, Hale
Room: Gilman 55
Status: Open
Seats Available: 15/20
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.360.306 (01)
Computational Intelligence for the Humanities
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Backer, Samuel Ehrlich; Messner, Craig A
Gilman 195
Spring 2024
This course introduces substantial machine learning methods of particular relevance to humanistic scholarship. Areas covered include standard models for classification, regression, and topic modeling, before turning to the array of open-source pretrained deep neural models, and the common mechanisms for employing them. Students are expected to have a level of programming experience equivalent to that gained from AS.360.304, Gateway Computing, AS.250.205, or Harvard’s CS50 for Python. Students will come away with an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different machine learning models, the ability to discuss them in relation to human intelligence and to make informed decisions of when and how to employ them, and an array of related technical knowledge.
×
Computational Intelligence for the Humanities AS.360.306 (01)
This course introduces substantial machine learning methods of particular relevance to humanistic scholarship. Areas covered include standard models for classification, regression, and topic modeling, before turning to the array of open-source pretrained deep neural models, and the common mechanisms for employing them. Students are expected to have a level of programming experience equivalent to that gained from AS.360.304, Gateway Computing, AS.250.205, or Harvard’s CS50 for Python. Students will come away with an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different machine learning models, the ability to discuss them in relation to human intelligence and to make informed decisions of when and how to employ them, and an array of related technical knowledge.
Days/Times: TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Backer, Samuel Ehrlich; Messner, Craig A
Room: Gilman 195
Status: Open
Seats Available: 6/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.224 (86)
Science in the Colonial Age
MWF 9:00AM - 11:30AM
Hinckley, Marlis A
Summer 2024
This course provides a fresh look at one of the most critical periods in the history of science – the so-called ‘Scientific Revolution’, spanning a period from approximately 1550 to 1750 – through the lens of colonial studies. It will address classic topics within the history and philosophy of science, such as the rise of observational epistemologies and the globalization of scientific knowledge. By connecting these philosophical concepts to the colonial contexts in which they arose, it will use tools from social history, economic history, and art history. Ultimately, it seeks not only to enrich students’ perspectives on the history of science, but also to inspire them to think about the connections between science and society across time, including in our own moment.
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Science in the Colonial Age AS.140.224 (86)
This course provides a fresh look at one of the most critical periods in the history of science – the so-called ‘Scientific Revolution’, spanning a period from approximately 1550 to 1750 – through the lens of colonial studies. It will address classic topics within the history and philosophy of science, such as the rise of observational epistemologies and the globalization of scientific knowledge. By connecting these philosophical concepts to the colonial contexts in which they arose, it will use tools from social history, economic history, and art history. Ultimately, it seeks not only to enrich students’ perspectives on the history of science, but also to inspire them to think about the connections between science and society across time, including in our own moment.
Days/Times: MWF 9:00AM - 11:30AM
Instructor: Hinckley, Marlis A
Room:
Status: Open
Seats Available: 15/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.316 (21)
Minds and Machines
TTh 1:00PM - 4:45PM
Honenberger, Phillip
Gilman 55
Summer 2024
Is the mind identical to the brain? Is the mind (or brain) a computer? Could a computer reason, have emotions, or be morally responsible? This course examines such questions philosophically and historically. Topics include: the history of AI research from 1940s to present; debates in cognitive science related to AI (computationalism, connectionism, and 4E cognition); and AI ethics.
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Minds and Machines AS.140.316 (21)
Is the mind identical to the brain? Is the mind (or brain) a computer? Could a computer reason, have emotions, or be morally responsible? This course examines such questions philosophically and historically. Topics include: the history of AI research from 1940s to present; debates in cognitive science related to AI (computationalism, connectionism, and 4E cognition); and AI ethics.
Days/Times: TTh 1:00PM - 4:45PM
Instructor: Honenberger, Phillip
Room: Gilman 55
Status: Open
Seats Available: 12/19
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.140.316 (85)
Minds and Machines
MWF 10:00AM - 11:30AM
Honenberger, Phillip
Summer 2024
Is the mind identical to the brain? Is the mind (or brain) a computer? Could a computer reason, have emotions, or be morally responsible? This course examines such questions philosophically and historically. Topics include: the history of AI research from 1940s to present; debates in cognitive science related to AI (computationalism, connectionism, and 4E cognition); and AI ethics.
×
Minds and Machines AS.140.316 (85)
Is the mind identical to the brain? Is the mind (or brain) a computer? Could a computer reason, have emotions, or be morally responsible? This course examines such questions philosophically and historically. Topics include: the history of AI research from 1940s to present; debates in cognitive science related to AI (computationalism, connectionism, and 4E cognition); and AI ethics.