2.0

credits

Average Course Rating

To understand nature, we normally apply the scientific method to dissect complexity and to identify general principles and natural laws. Fortunately, science is not the only avenue for understanding and appreciating the fundamental character of the natural world and the logic of life. This is precisely how the Greeks, without the benefit of the technological and mathematical armamentarium at our disposal today, simply by identifying critical questions, laid the foundation for modern science and contributed insight that has stood the test of time. In this course, we will emulate the Greeks. We will examine the nature of nature by asking questions about phenomena we experience in our daily lives. We will read brief sources from popular science and engage in weekly conversations. For the students with backgrounds in science, these conversations are an opportunity to discover the elusive continuity and connectivity between elements in nature that siloed science education all too often obfuscates. The students without science in their background will come to understand the forces that shape our world and our lives, and discover rich links between science and humanistic thinking.