Course Highlights
STS.003 The Rise of Modern Science
Spring 2008
From left: National Einstein Memorial, Washington D.C., by Robert Berks (Photo courtesy of Dan Smith); painting of Louis Pasteur by Albert Edelfelt (1886); Charles Darwin ape charicature (Hornet Magazine, 1871); portrait of Monsieur de Lavoisier and his wife, chemist Marie-Anne Pierrette Paulze, by Jacques-Louis David (1788). (Images courtesy of Wikipedia.)
Course Description
This course studies the development of modern science from the seventeenth century to the present, focusing on Europe and the United States. Key questions include: What is science, and how is it done? How are discoveries made and accepted? What is the nature of scientific progress? What is the impact of science on society? What is the impact of society on science? Topics will be drawn from the histories of physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, and medicine.
Acknowledgement
This class is based on the one originally designed and taught by Prof. David Jones. His Spring 2005 version can be viewed by following the link under Archived Courses on the right side of this page.
Technical Requirements
Special software is required to use some of the files in this course: .ogg.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
This course content is a redistribution of MIT Open Courses. Access to the course materials is free to all users.
This course content is a redistribution of MIT Open Courses. Access to the course materials is free to all users.
