Our course explores the scientific and social background of the nuclear field. We shall present for the non-science student the basic physics and engineering associated with nuclear power and nuclear weapons. Against this background we will study the history of the nuclear age, analyze issues and topics such as the profound impact upon individual and social values of the threat of a nuclear holocaust, and the complexities and dangers of developing nuclear strategies. Our convergent aim is to explore the complex relationships between scientific discoveries and technological developments in the nuclear field, and their impact upon contemporary values and lives. This class will examine these and related issues using the tools of history, political philosophy, economics, law, art, and literature.
Every image embodies a way of seeing.
We will also discuss the unique characteristics of photography in our never ending search for the meaning within and behind what we see. An exploration of the history of works created with, and about, computers, and an analysis of ways in which computers may be changing traditional definitions of arts and humanities, and consideration of future possibilities. Class includes lecture, discussion, slide presentation, and film. They will also study areas of convergence among the sciences, the arts, and the various humanities. Students will explore, develop, and share computer-based research techniques, and projects that illustrate the diversity available to convergent research and scholarship.