courses of instruction - Lafayette College

ut custom, tradition, and habit make fixi
ty and persistence the dominant forces in
human history. Minor shifts and adjust
ments aside, real changes in social struc
tures and values are rare. Big changes are
usually linked to crises and revolutionary
events, some of which are provoked by
advances in science and technology. This
course examines what happens when sci
entific and technological innovations meet
social forces promoting fixity and persis
tence. Mr. Schneiderman
236. Energy, Environment, Society. This
course helps students achieve a measure
of technological literacy and understand
the philosophical and social implications
of modern technology. A major portion of
society is involved with complex interac
tions among the production, economic,
and "eco" systems. The production and
use of energy is one area that connects
these systems very closely. The effect of
electrical energy production on the envi
ronment, global warming, and other
environmental problems are discussed.
Mr. Ulucakli
237. Science, Anti-Science, Pseudoscience,
and Nonsense. This seminar examines var
ious nonscientific or anti-scientific ideas,
including belief in paranormal phenomena
(UFOs, astrology, psychics), religious fun
damentalism (creationism, religious icons),
and scientology. Students examine what
"science" is, postmodern and feminist criti
cisms of science, and misuse or misunder
standing of science in political or legal
contexts. Students gain an appreciation of
the value and limitations of the skeptical
approach to both "scientific" and "nonsci
entific" issues. Mr. Barber
238. Human Reproductive Technology.
This seminar examines scientific, social,
ethical, legal, and political dimensions of
reproduction-assisting (e.g., artificial in
semination, in vitro fertilization, embryo
transfer) technologies. The focus is on ex
isting procedures applied to humans, al
though some discussion of future possibil
VALUES AND SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR
ities (e.g., cloning of human cells, artificial
wombs) is included. The seminar begins
with an overview of ethical and legal prin
ciples often applied to issues of reproduc
tive technology (RT). Human reproduc
tion is discussed to understand how and
why reproductive technologies work
and to identify social, legal, and moral
challenges that arise as these technologies
affect perceptions of human life, happi
ness, freedom, rights, and justice.
Ms. McGilliciiddy-DeLisi
239. Revolutions in Science. Two
revolutions in science have changed
how people view self and world. The
Copernican Revolution displaced human
beings from their home at the center of
the universe, and the Darwinian Revolu
tion relocated human beings on a twig
of an evolutionary tree. This seminar
examines the history of these episodes
and its implications for an individual's
worldview. Mr. Losee
240. Plastics in the World. This seminar
deals with the increasingly important role
that plastics (polymers) play in the mod
ern world. After an introduction to the
structure, properties, and processing of
plastics, students explore new applica
tions and examine some of the controver
sial aspects of use, including environmen
tal effects of disposal and the impact on
natural resources. Mr. Martin
242. The 3 C's: Conception, Contracep
tion, and Carrying Capacity. This semi
nar explores reproductive science and
accompanying ethical issues. Students
begin with an intensive overview of the
evolution, physiology, endocrinology,
and genetics of human reproduction.
Topics include multiple births, artificial
insemination, in vitro fertilization, terato-
gens, genetic screening, efficacy and
global distribution of contraception, and
determining carrying capacity. Through
out, attention is given to research and
development, funding, and distribution/
accessibility issues. Ms. Waters
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