Subject: USNA

Term: Fall 2014

USNA 226: Evolution of Human Behavior (100/10564)

TR 08:30-09:45 AM Aug 25-Dec 05

Reeves, M

Human behavior is a result of the complex interplay between our genes and the environment, both of which have been shaped by evolutionary forces over millions of years. To what extent does natural selection shape our behavior today? Are humans naturally monogamous? Why do conflicts arise even in our most intimate relationships? Is human behavior ultimately in the service of reproductive success, ensuring that our genes are passed into the next generation? This course reviews the history of evolutionary theories of mind and behavior, as well as current ideas about the ecological and genetic components of behavior. We will examine key principles of neurobiology, sociobiology, and evolutionary psychology to critically evaluate evolutionary interpretations of human behaviors, including those comprising cultural traditions and social institutions. Specific topics to be addressed include human mate choice, parenting strategies, interpersonal conflict, and altruism. The course is structured as a seminar, with emphasis on discussion and formation of logical arguments.

USNA 247: Epidemics in Human History (100/10565)

TR 04:30-05:45 PM Aug 25-Dec 05

Maguire, M

This course will examine the role of epidemics (of all types) in human history. Disease has shaped our society in many ways and continues to do so. Despite the plethora of antibiotic and antiviral drugs since 1940, 90% of the decrease in (First World) infectious disease is due to simple public health measures and better hygiene. But overuse of antibiotics increasingly is causing the rapid evolution of "superbugs" that threaten new plagues and epidemics. Both historical and modern epidemics of plague, smallpox, Salmonella, cholera, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS will be examined. The interaction of these epidemics with societies and how the epidemics influence society, cultures, art, and literature will be major topics of discussion. The course is primarily discussion with short student presentations. In addition, 3-4 short "Front Lines" talks by and discussion with CWRU and University Hospital clinicians will explore today's realities of epidemics, infection, and antibiotic resistance in the United States, Uganda, South Africa and elsewhere.

USNA 259: Bring Out Your Dead (100/10566)

MW 09:00-10:15 AM Aug 25-Dec 05

Absher, A

This course examines the interplay between history and plague outbreaks. Course readings draw largely on the writings and experiences of scientists, physicians, and public health officials. By taking a historical approach to the study of the relationship between human history and the history of disease, students will learn about the development of the scientific method (namely the slow process by which humans learned to identify, categorize, and respond to disease), how science develops in specific historic contexts, the consequence of scientific inquiry, and what humans do when they are faced with imminent death. A tentative list of plagues includes: the Athenian Plague, Black Death, Yellow Fever, TB, Malaria, Influenza in 1918, and AIDS.

USNA 287A: Perspectives on the Cosmos: From the Ancient Philosophers to Modern Science (100/10625)

TR 11:30-12:45 PM Aug 25-Dec 05

McGaugh, S

For all of recorded history, and presumably well before that, people have asked the Big Questions: What is the nature of the Universe? How big is it? How old? What is our place in it? For just as long, we've been making up the answers. Cosmology is the subject that seeks to answer the big questions. As such, it is the nexus where science, philosophy, and religion collide. This course will explore the subject of cosmology, from both an historical and scientific perspective. In the process, we will examine the roles of faith, philosophy, and empirical knowledge. We will survey prevailing attitudes towards the nature of the world model over time, examining the impact of belief systems on the interpretation of physical evidence. Subjects to be covered include the first vital steps of the ancient philosophers, the tension between geocentric and heliocentric world models at the time of Copernicus and Galileo, and the modern scientific world view. Students will learn to critically examine evidence and its interpretation, and to appreciate the strengths and shortcomings of various forms of human knowledge. Emphasis will be placed on the importance and limitations of empirical evidence, and the dangers inherent in the interpretation of evidence within a preconceived framework. The student will gain an appreciation for the historical development of world models, culminating with modern cosmology. In the process comes a respect for the diverse paths to knowledge followed by humanity.

USNA 287C: Animals and Humans: Making Sense of the Human-Animal Bond (100/10580)

TR 01:15-02:30 PM Aug 25-Dec 05

Hanks, M

Humans have an incredibly complex relationship with (non-human) animals. We eat some animals and consider other animals members of our family. We worship some animals and vilify others. This class examines the complexities of our relationship with (non-human) animals. Through exploring human emotional, practical, and epistemological ties with animals, this course examines what it means to be animal as well as what it means to be human. We analyze the following questions. How do we come to know and understand animals? What are the issues surrounding the use of animals in scientific speculation, classification and experimentation, such as vivisection, cloning and the human-animal relationship in technoscience? Do some non-human animals possess material culture, social morality, and emotions such as grief and sadness? Why do animals populate our popular culture and art?

USNA 287G: Genes, Genomes and Society (100/10567)

MW 04:00-05:15 PM Aug 25-Dec 05

Salz, H

2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the double helix of DNA and the 10th anniversary of the sequencing of the first human genome. Advances in genetics (the study of individual genes), and genomics (the study of an entire genome) have fundamentally altered our understanding of biology. In this seminar, we will focus on topics covered by the mainstream press. We will explore the science behind the news and discuss the philosophical, ethical and societal concerns raised by these scientific advances. Topics will include: the dangers and benefits of genetically modified crops; genetics and the conservation of endangered species; learning about human biology and disease from yeast, flies, worms and fish; the use and potential misuse of genetic fingerprinting by government agencies; genetic testing; personalized medicine; and issues of genetic privacy.

USNA 287H: Plants in Medicine (100/10695)

MWF 10:30-11:20 AM Aug 25-Dec 05

Olbricht, E

Plants have always been the basis of medicinal treatments, and as they continue to be essential to modern forms of medicine, alternative and traditional alike. In this course, we will consider the history of how humans have used particular plants for medicinal purposes, such as the cinchona tree (Cinchona officinalis) for quinine, willow bark (Salix) for aspirin, and the yew tree (Taxus baccata) for the cancer medication paclitaxel. By investigating how a plant is used medicinally through time, we will also come to understand the culture that used it and how they conceived of health in relationship to nature. We will read texts that show how a plant's medicinal uses can be tied to colonialism and global exploration. For example, the first botanical gardens were collections of medicinal plants cultivated for use and experimentation, often containing non-native plant-based cures discovered through colonial contact. While this is not a course in botany per se, we will be discussing basic plant biology, cultivation practices, and the contemporary science of using plants as the basis for pharmaceutical cures. Students should be active course participants in class discussion and on field trips. Writing instruction will focus on research-based argument, and students will complete a researched essay focusing on a medicinal plant of their choice.

USNA 287P: Women and Science: Changing Paradigms (100/10573)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Aug 25-Dec 05

Burgess-Van Aken, B

Is science objectively neutral in that true scientific knowledge would be independent of the discoverer? In this view, the scientific discoverer is more like a midwife that brings forth pre-existing knowledge to the world. Or - is scientific knowledge guided and shaped by the people who practice science, in which case it is influenced by the social context in which it occurs, making the scientist more like a sculptor who creates something new using the tools that are currently available. In this course we will examine this second question by looking specifically at the relationship of gender to science through several lenses. One approach we will use is make case studies of the lives of major women scientists and the way that their gender impacted their work, from the type of scientific research they pursued, the kind of support and encouragement that they obtained as they proceeded in their careers, to the rewards and recognition (or the lack of them) that their work received from their peers. Using a more conjectural line of inquiry, we will also consider the role that gender might have played in developing scientific theories and whether there can be such categories as "masculinist" and "feminist" science. We will conclude this part of our inquiry with an analysis of the current state of science and how well these approaches reflect the way science is pursued today. A third issue involves looking at the relationship of gender and science but from the opposite direction. In other words, we will consider how science has influenced our understanding of gender, rather than how gender has influenced science. Over time, scientific ideas about the physiological and intellectual differences between males and females have changed dramatically several times with major political and sociological ramifications. Consequently, we will examine the science of gender in its cultural and political context from antiquity through the twentieth century. In order to explore these interweaving threads, we will be taking an interdisciplinary approach that will draw on the history and philosophy of science (particularly Thomas Kuhn's The Revolution of Scientific Ideas), as well as on anthropology and cultural theory. By the conclusion of the course we will have examined the scientific evidence that has supported assumptions about gender in various philosophical paradigms, including humanism, rationalism (i.e., Enlightenment philosophy), nineteenth century moralism, modernism, and postmodernism.

USNA 287Q: Gothic Science: Discovery and Dread in the 18th Century (100/10830)

TR 01:15-02:30 PM Aug 25-Dec 05

Schillace, B

Discovery has always enticed us. From the ocean voyage to the space mission, from the discovery of electricity to gene-splicing, men and women have sought to explore the boundaries of knowledge. However, such explorations often come at a cost. New scientific discovery in the 18th century--from neurology to reproduction to electricity--caused as much fear as excitement. The Enlightenment focus on clarity and rationality harbors a dark double self that appears as monstrosity in early Gothic fiction. This course will explore the ways cultural anxieties are re-interpreted through fictional narratives and reflect on what this says about our own scientific explorations today.

USNA 287R: Sexuality, Race, & Scientific Classification (100/11080)

TR 08:30-09:45 AM Aug 25-Dec 05

Fountain, T

This course will examine the roles language and culture play in the scientific and medical definition and classification of gender, sexuality, and race. Through analysis of historical case studies, we will investigate how notions of gender, sexuality, and ethnicity have been influenced by the values, arguments, terms, and practices of scientific and non-scientific communities. Incorporating visual and verbal texts, this course will explore the changing conceptions of gender, sexuality, and race as well as how those changing conceptions have shaped the problematic nature/nurture debate.

USNA 287S: Society and Natural Resources (100/11092)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Aug 25-Dec 05

Hardy, S

The relationship between humans and the natural world can be defined in large part by how societies manage natural resources. In this seminar, students will analyze how society-environment interactions have undergone substantial shifts over time...from John Locke's Labor Theory of Value and the rise of utilitarian conservation to more recent approaches based on ecosystem management that emphasize ecological integrity and stakeholder collaboration. Course readings will challenge students to think critically about how humans conceptualize and impact the environment. Class time will be spent discussing the evolution of effective human-ecological systems interactions as outlined in the readings, as well as reviewing student reflection papers that connect course concepts to real word scenarios.

USNA 287T: Conflicts and Controversies in American Science and Technology (100/11353)

TR 11:30-12:45 PM Aug 25-Dec 05

Shulman, P

How do changes in science and technology affect American life? How do cultural ideas shape scientific practice? Is technological progress inevitable, or do we get to decide what changes we want and which ones we don't? How do we make ethical choices about science and technology in a world with inherent power imbalances? This course provides an introduction to thinking through these questions by presenting works by historians, anthropologists, political scientists, philosophers, journalists, and others to explore a range of social issues in modern science and technology. After two weeks of introduction, the course is divided into four sections: (a) Biology, Biotech, and Biomedicine; (b) Science Policy and the Politics of Science; (c) Problems in Social Science; and (d) Computers and Other Thinking Machines. While the course's content is arranged around these topics, its main purposes are to develop critical thinking skills around ubiquitous and contentious subjects of science, technology, power, culture, and values as well as to hone skills in reading, speaking, research, and essay writing.

USNA 287U: Energy - The Great Challenge Ahead (100/11377)

TR 02:45-04:00 PM Aug 25-Dec 05

Scherson, D

This course seeks to raise awareness of contemporary geopolitical issues that are bound to shape the world in the coming decades. The book we will use as background is "The Quest: Energy Security and the remaking of the Modern World," an outstanding work by Daniel Yergin who is currently regarded as among the most influential voices on energy and an authority on international politics and economics. The questions we will consider are: Do you think the world as a whole is sufficiently aware of the issues surrounding the energy challenge? Is something concrete being done to deal effectively with energy-environment-social issues and their interrelation? What do you think will be the next challenge we will all face as a society both in the US and in the world as a whole? Has technology been able to reduce the energy requirements for human activities without jeopardizing the quality of life? Are we becoming better at predicting the future?