3.0

credits

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How do we know if a scientific claim is true? This course will explore ways of thinking critically and skeptically about scientific and medical claims, through close readings of scientific papers and the evidence within them. The course will also discuss scientific misinformation, how it spreads, and how to counteract it. Topics will include a wide range of findings, ranging from basic scientific questions to claims about the benefits of diet and medical treatments. Scientific questions will include topics in genomics such as the effects of microbes on cancer, horizontal gene transfer, and others. Medical topics will include the anti-vaccine movement, common treatments for pain, methods to extend lifespan, and claims about the benefits of vitamins and supplements. Each week, the course will address different topics by reading papers from the scientific literature and discussing them in class. Extensive class participation will be expected of all students through presentations as well as discussion.