Science plays key roles in solving problems of global and local concern. But science never is the only force at work. Increasingly, science and expertise face stiff competition for influence. This module focuses on science when it is put to use in solutions. We concentrate on engagement between scientists and others within communities of interest coming together to solve problems. Think climate change, pandemics, earthquake prediction, or collapse…
Eugenics combined science and politics to create social policies intent on “improving the stock” of some human groups at the expense of others. This module investigates eugenics as a history of science and technology operating in cultures around the world. It considers eugenics as a history of people creating, interpreting, rejecting, and suffering from decisions grounded in scientific (and pseudo-scientific – this boundary is important)…
Undergraduates in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) undertake final year projects resulting in dissertations or research reports. Professor Joe Cain supervises some students in this work, as do all academic staff in STS. The formal UCL module codes for include: HPSC0041 Dissertations (formerly HPSC3004) For students undertaking: History and Philosophy of Science BSc Science and Society BSc Sociology and the Politics of…
We once loved zoos. They stood as an important symbol of science at its best. In the 21st century, this changed. Zoos are at the centre of many debates about the role of science in society, about the limits of human-animal interactions, and about the future of biodiversity in the wild. The module explores history, ethics, and policy as they relate to zoos. Students will…
The nineteenth century experienced a tremendous expansion of science. This module explores that expansion through the lens of popularization, public engagement, and presentation. We cover a variety of settings, including museums, lecture halls, publishing devices, parlours, and private collections, using London as a focus of our investigations. We also cover a variety of communities and types of activities, including professional societies, amateur clubs, working men’s…
The publishing industry is enormous. It shapes science communication in fundamental ways. This module investigates publishing. How does it work? How does it enable and shape science communication? The module covers a wide range of outputs: trade books, textbooks, peer review journals, and ancillary products. It examines topics every publisher needs to know about, as well as contexts key for interpreting trends. How does marketing…
A historical survey of evolutionary thinking from the Enlightenment to the present. Content includes the history of scientific ideas and the context for those ideas. It also considers the influence of evolutionary ideas, especially Darwinism, on society and vice versa. Professor Joe Cain teaches HPSC0023 at UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). This course has had two module codes in the past: HPSC2013…