The following natural sciences courses are part of the elective offerings of Liberal Studies and may fulfill the science requirements of the other undergraduate colleges of the University.
Natural Sciences
Environmental decisions are frequent and important in our daily lives, ranging from personal behavior to international policy. Students in Environmental Studies learn about modern environmental science in the context of contemporary global issues, exploring the impact that the decisions of nations and individuals have on local and world ecologies. The course emphasizes the science involved in environmental decisions while also examining the roles of ethics, politics, and economics in all real life environmental situations. Students examine such topics as ecology and biodiversity, including the nature and effects of succession, evolution, and invasive species; the atmosphere, including air pollution, ozone depletion, and climate change; sources, use, and misuse of water resources; human population and feeding the world’s people, including developments in agriculture and genetic modifications of organisms; and the nature of earth’s energy resources and their use by humankind. Additionally, they explore the impact that environmental decisions have on cultures around the world, investigating global issues such as biological conservation, human population growth, chemical and biological technologies, and environmental justice.
Life Science examines some of the fundamental discoveries and concepts of biological science. The theme of evolution is woven throughout the course. Topics covered include genetics, cancer, cell biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, and bioethics, with special emphasis on the human species. Many of the topics are discussed within a social and historical context. Global topics and the global nature of scientific problems and scientific process are frequently emphasized. Selected readings from science journals, newspaper articles, and recent books expose students to the relevance and application of scientific work to their everyday lives, focusing on contemporary topics such as genetically modified organisms and recent outbreaks of infectious diseases.
History of the Universe examines the nature of science as a way of looking at the world and study that world as revealed through the work of scientists over the years. They learn about the nature of matter and energy and about how the universe has changed over billions of years. Topics include the origin and development of stars, galaxies, planetary systems, and the universe itself, as well as study of the earth and the development of life on earth and its potential to exist elsewhere in the universe. The course begins with the development of scientific thought at multiple locations around the pre-modern world by reference to Babylonian and Chinese astronomy, Indian numerical systems, and the work of such scientists as Aristotle, Ptolemy, Al Sufi, Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo; it continues with discoveries by the likes of Newton, Darwin, Curie, Einstein and Hubble during the period of western scientific hegemony, and ends with the multi-national world of present-day science. Students acquire an understanding not only of modern science, but also of its development and of the methods, strengths, and limitations of science and the scientific method.
Science of Technology follows the intertwined histories of science, technology, and society, focusing mainly on the technology of communication. The course elucidates how technological developments are inspired by scientific investigations and how these investigations are inspired by inventive technology. Students study the basic principles of electromagnetism, acoustics, the wave and quantum nature of light, and quantum electronics in order to understand the technology of communication from the earliest means to the telegraph to cell phones. As the course progresses, other technologies such as the telephone, radio, television, lasers, and cameras will be discussed. Interwoven with the science are readings, movies, and discussions that consider the philosophy of technology, the impact technology has had on societies, and the way the structure and values of different societies have conditioned the way technologies are actually used. Discussions emphasize the philosophy of technology and the impact of technology on society, including its effect on globalization. Particular discussions focus on how modern technology has changed lives in underdeveloped nations.