Mobilizing Science

FYS 068, Fall 2020

Course Web Page

Brooks Thomas

Hugel 020
Physics Department
Lafayette College
730 High St.
Easton, PA 18042

Phone: (610) 330-5207
Email: thomasbd@lafayette.edu

Contact Info

Physics at Lafayette

Other Resources

• My Personal Home Page
• Lafayette Physics Department
• Physics Courses

• List of NSF REU Sites
• APS Resources for Students
• Society of Physics Students (SPS)
• CUWiP
• SACNAS National Conference

Central Themes of this Course

Scientific research plays a critical role in the way societies overcome challenges and respond to crises. How do societies mobilize scientific activity in the face of such challenges? Who foots the bill? Who decides the priorities? The reading and writing assignments in this seminar will explore the complex interplay between different social forces that mobilize science toward specific ends and examine the moral and ethical quandaries scientists often face when deciding how and whether to participate in the resulting research effort.

Course Materials and Other Useful Links

• Syllabus
• Course Moodle

Required Texts

• Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
• Allen I. Marcus and Amy Sue Bix, The Future Is Now: Science And Technology Policy in America Since 1950.  Amherst, NY, USA: Humanity Books, 2007.
• David M. Oshinsky, Polio: An American Story.  New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005.
  
• Richard Paul and Steven Moss, We Could Not Fail: The First African-Americans in the Space Program.  Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2015.
  
• Richard Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb.  New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1986.

Office hours

During the times designated as my office hours below, I will have a Zoom meeting open, which you can join from the office-hours Zoom link provided on the course Moodle. If I am meeting with another student at the time you join the Zoom meeting, I may ask you to wait in the waiting room for a bit. However, if you and other students in the course have the same question, you can certainly meet with me as a group.


• Mon., 9:00 - 10:00 AM
• Tues., 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
• Wed., 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
• Fri., 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

If you cannot make it during my formal office hours, please email me in order to schedule an appointment.

Course Schedule

Date	Topic	Reading	Writing	Fourth Hour
Week 1
8/18	Introduction: Science into Action
8/20	Policy, Pandemics, and Public Perception	"How Anthony Fauci Became America's Doctor" (M); "Simulating COVID-19" (M)
Week 2
8/25	Policy, Pandemics, and Public Perception	Oshinsky, p. 8-78		Film: "And the Band Played On" (8/26, 7:00 PM)
8/27	Policy, Pandemics, and Public Perception	Oshinsky, p. 79-111
Week 3
9/1	Policy, Pandemics, and Public Perception	Oshinsky, p. 112-187		WA Conferences (Individual)
9/3	Policy, Pandemics, and Public Perception	Oshinsky, p. 187-213	Genre Writing (First Draft Due Friday, 9/4 at 5:00 PM Eastern)
Week 4
9/8	Policy, Pandemics, and Public Perception	Oshinsky, p. 214-286		Conferences with Prof. Thomas (Individual)
9/10	Chain Reactions	Rhodes, p. 1-28	Timeline & Reflections (Due Monday, 9/14 at 1:00 PM Eastern)
Week 5
9/15	Chain Reactions	Rhodes, p. 233-292
9/17	Chain Reactions	Rhodes, p. 292-317	Genre Writing (Final Draft Due Friday, 9/18 at 5:00 PM Eastern)
Week 6
9/22	Chain Reactions	Rhodes, p. 357-393, p. 517-520, p. 617-651		WA Conferences (Individual), Film: "The Day After Trinity" (9/24, 7:00 PM)
9/24	Chain Reactions	Rhodes, p. 651-678	Research Proposal (Draft Due Friday, 9/25 at 5:00 PM)
Week 7
9/29	An Endless Frontier?	Marcus, p. 7-59; "Science: The Endless Frontier," p. 1-21 (M)		Lunch and discussion with Keith Dienes (9/29, 12:15 - 1:15 PM)
10/1	An Endless Frontier?	Marcus, p. 61-99	Timeline & Reflections (Due Monday, 10/5 at 1:00 PM)
Week 8
10/6	An Endless Frontier?	Marcus, p. 99-134; "Beyond Sputnik," p. 25-47 (M)		Lecture by Ruha Benjamin (10/7, 7:00 PM)
10/8	An Endless Frontier?	Marcus, p. 134-151	Research Proposal (Submission Due Thursday, 10/8 at 4:00 PM)
Week 9
10/13	Mock Peer-Review Panel	Reading Proposals		Film: "Rachel Carson: The Woman Who Launched the Modern Environmental Movement" (10/15, 7:00 PM)
10/15	Inconvenient Truths	Carson, p. 1-37; "The Desolate Year" (M)	Network Diagram & Reflections (Due Monday, 10/19 at 1:00 PM)
Week 10
10/20	Inconvenient Truths	Carson, p. 38-100		WA Conferences (Individual)
10/22	Inconvenient Truths	Carson, Jigsaw Readings	Research Proposal (Revision Due Friday, 10/23 at 5:00 PM)
Week 11
10/27	Inconvenient Truths	Carson, p. 219-297; "Silence, Miss Carson" (M)		Lunch and discussion with Megan DeCesar (10/28, 12:00 - 1:00 PM)
10/29	What is Sacred	"What Makes a Volcano Sacred?" (M); "The Search for Knowledge" (M)
Week 12
11/3	What Is Sacred	"Insights on PBS Hawaii" (M); "A Native Hawaiian-Lead Summary" (M)
11/5	White Towers	"Public Opinion Polls and Perceptions" (M); "Blacks and Apollo" (M); "Moodoggle" (M)	Persuasive Writing (First Draft Due Monday, 11/9 at 1:00 PM)
Week 13
11/10	White Towers	Paul, p. 1-67		Conferences with Prof. Thomas (Individual)
11/12	White Towers	Paul, p. 89-122	Timeline & Reflections (Due Monday, 11/16 at 1:00 PM)
Week 14
11/17	White Towers	Paul, p. 123-187		WA Conferences (Individual)
11/19	White Towers	Paul, p. 220-240;	Persuasive Writing (Final Draft Due Friday, 11/20 at 5:00 PM)