TBD: Big Science
The Impact and Legacy of Large Scientific Infrastructure
Instructors: Jonathan Nickels
Description
| Are you a future leader in science, engineering, and/or the policy surrounding these topics? In this class we ask, “Is Big Science ruining science?... Should we divert a larger part of our effort toward scientific issues which bear more directly on human well-being than do such Big Science spectaculars as manned space travels and high-energy physics?” These are the questions that drove debate in the emergence of the era of industrial science and the accompanying large scientific infrastructure. Consistent with the objectives of the University Honors Program, this course will pick up the above questions from Weinberg’s classic Science article and reflect upon the achievements and valuable failures of the last 60 years of Big Science. |
Why take this course?
| So much of our world comes down to choices about resource allocation. Big Science is an excellent example of social resource allocation and the questions and compromises that come with even our best and most altruistic endeavors. Our future leaders will confront this through the successes, failures and choices around Big Science facilities. Students will develop and defend their own opinion and justifications about Big Science and its continuing future within this class. |