2020-2021 Academic Year

Spring 2021

SCIE 258 Hist of Sci Tech Cult thru Dmk
This class is only for students who are participating in the Globally Integrated Semester in Denmark. Please contact Kristine Barrick: barrickr@dickinson.eduIn this globally integrated course, you will learn about the history of science in an online course during the spring semester (1 credit) and a subsequent required 3-week study tour in Denmark (0.5 credit). It is designed to serve as an introduction for those who have no prior background in the field and to deepen the knowledge of those who already do. You will develop an understanding of the mutual interaction between scientific ideas and cultural, political, and societal influences, learn the history of scientific and technological ideas relevant to Denmark, increase your understanding of the culture, geography, and politics of Denmark, and finally deepen your ability to write clearly while integrating historical, cultural, and scientific ideas. We will mostly focus on England and Denmark during the 16th-18th century. We also examine links from the past to the present. General areas include the origins of science and its development and interaction with society. Specific topics include the role of religion, warfare, industry, rivalry, globalization, instrumentation, exploration, evolution, progress, time, and objectivity spanning the breadth of the sciences. In Denmark we will examine topics directly related to the history of science (e.g., the Vikings, astronomy, the monarchy, sustainability, food, and Danish happiness), Danish scientists (e.g., Tycho Brache, HC Ørsted, and Niels Bohr), and the culture of Denmark (e.g., HC Andersen, Danish movies, castles, biking in Copenhagen, swimming in the harbor, and much more).