Syllabus for Spring 2006: Advanced Writing: On the Natural Sciences and Technology

Dr Ellen Moody. My homepage address: http://www.jimandellen.org/ellen/emhome.htm;
for Course Materials, go to http://www.jimandellen.org/gmuhome/em course.htm
My preferred email address is: Ellen2@JimandEllen.org.

Advanced Writing: On the Natural Sciences and Technology

This is an advanced writing and English course. In some ways it may remind you of the introductory college freshmen writing course you took a few semesters ago. We will talk about how to write plainly and clearly, about how to construct arguments, how to synthesize materials to compose a research paper, about punctuation, documentation -- in short, about everything we can think of having to do with writing essays; and we will read and discuss full-length books, stories, chapters from books, and essays.

The course will, however, differ from introductory courses in writing and English in that you will be asked to use these skills to read writing by scientists, about sciences and their applied technologies, and how these disciplines and their products are exploited by people. Since there is no science prerequisite for this course, our perspective and discussions cannot be too specialized or narrowly-focused on simply a single science or group of sciences, even if a fairly large number of students in the class are majoring in the same area of science. The background knowledge assumed is that of the typical generally-educated reader who has attained Junior status in a senior college.

Required Texts (in the order we'll read them)

• Trimble, John. Writing with Style: Conversations on the art of writing. NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1999. Second edition. ISBN 0-13-025713-3.
• Feynman, Richard. Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman! NY: Norton, 1997. ISBN 0-393-31604-1.
• Feynman, Richard. "What Do YOU Care What Other People Think?" NY: Norton, 2001. ISBN 0-393-32092-8
• Olson, Steven. Mapping Human History: Genes, Race and Our Common Origins. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. ISBN: 0-618-35210-4.
• Jon Krakauer, Jon Into the Wild. NY: Anchor, 1997 ISBN: 0385486804
• Primo, Levi. The Periodic Table, translated by Raymond Rosenthal. New York: Schocken, 1995. ISBN: 0805210415.
• LeCarre, John. The Constant Gardener. Pocket Star (July 26, 2005) or Scribner's Pocket Book. ISBN 141653900 (but any edition will do), plus Marcia Angell's "The Body Hunters" (online materials, essay-review in the New York Review of Books).
• Ofri, Danielle. Singular Intimacies: Becoming a Doctor at Bellevue. New York: Penguin, 1987. ISBN 0142004384. Plus online copy of Ofri's "Common Ground" (a story that did not make it into the book).
• Edson, Margaret. Wit: A Play. New York: Faber and Faber, 1999. ISBN 0- 571- 19877-5.0- 571-19877-5.

Required Films (in the order we'll see them)

• Ralph Leighton's The Last Journey of a Genius. A BBC/NOVA film, 54 minutes, January 1989. This is a film portrait biography of Richard Feynman.
• Peter Jones and David R. Axelrod's Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude. A 1998 NOVA film, 60 minutes. Narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, with Patrick Malahide as John Harrison.
• Christopher Hale's In Search of the First Language. A 1997 Horizon, WGBH, BBC-TV film. Narrated Peter Thomas. Editors include Adam de Van, Jana Bennet. 60 minutes.
• The Constant Gardener, from screenplay by Jeffrey Caine, directed by Fernando Meirelles, produced by Scion and UK Films (2005), starring Ralph Fiennes as Justin Quayle, Rachel Weisz as Tessa Quayle, Hubert Koundé as Arnold Bluhm, Danny Huston as Sandy Woodrow, Bill Nighy as Sir Bernard Pellegrin. 129 minutes.
• Wit, HBO film, made for TV, from a screenplay by Emma Thompson and Mike Nichols, adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Margaret Edson. Directed by Mike Nichols, starring Emma Thompson as Vivan Bearing, Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Kelekian, Eileen Atkins as E.M. Ashford, Audra McDonald as Susie Monahan, Jonathan M. Woodward as Jason Posner, Harold Pinter as Vivian's Father, and Rebecca Laurie as Vivian aged 5. A professor is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. 98 minutes.

Required Writing:

You are required to write three essays outside class; to write book and film reviews in class (in lieu of a mid-term and final); to give one short talk in class; and to present a 2-3 minute report on the progress of your research paper. There will be a take-home test. There will be no quizzes and no closed book exams.

First Essay (#1)

Writing About How a Machine or Scientific Process Works or About the Composition of a Objects which has been designed and built (or created) by people. The basic aim of the science essay is often explanation, and the basis of good scientific writing an ability to use scientific and technical or complicated English in ways that a reader can understand. So the first of our essays is an exercise in which you use technical language and/or scientific concepts in order to explain something in a clear and engaging manner. Here are some suggestions for suitable topics:

How an airplane flies; or why a building doesn't fall down (you can use any kind of building); or how some aspect of the Internet works or how to use a computer; or how any of the following work: a radio or TV or car or roller coaster or ferris wheel or bicycle or vaccuum cleaner or coffee-maker or microwave oven or zipper or other household or personal appliance (e.g., eyeglasses, hearing aids, a wheelchair, food-processor, thermometer, doorknob). Then there are fax machines, xerox machines, elevators, subway systems, the internal combustion engine and sewing machines. You can explain objects which need man at the helm to operate them, like sailboats or cranes, because to make these work the individual using them has to have mechanical and scientific knowledge of nature.

The sort of object or process you are to choose is something which is man-made or depends on knowledge, manipulation, or transformations of nature which are done by people. It can therefore also be an object that is the result of a mechanical, chemical or other artificial process initiated by man (e.g., glass or steel).

You can also describe the process by which the object has been made or its history. If you are a humanities or social science major or would prefer to try something less technically-rooted, you can also explain processes which use things which occur in nature and which we use with little transformation by man. Cooking is not only an art; it is based on knowledge of nature. How did people learn to brew beer? What's wine? There's an important history behind the invention and use of ropes; there's an equally revealing history behind the invention of uses of ice or cloth.

And remember a machine or man-made object need not be made of metal or plastic, and it can be used for aesthetic pleasure or emotional uplift: you can explain how any musical instrument works or the history of how it comes to take the form it does. A ballet-shoe is a man-made object which enables women to dance on the edge of their toes. Furniture and toys may be included.

Your object need not be something technologically sophisticated; it can be a light-bulb or a pencil or a fountain pen. You can look at obsolete or older inventions: the windmill or a medieval knight's armor; you can go to the beginning of the industrial revolution for objects like the spinning jenny You can explain the process whereby a book is made or history of book-making.

You can also explain intellectual inventions like calendars.

You can write this satirically. Pretend you are a person from a community with no knowledge or experience of such objects and use your description to criticize the society which uses such objects. You can write this personally: tell how you or other members of your household or school use the object. In all cases, you should have a thesis-statement and a context. You should in the essay include the reason why your reader ought to know how your machine or process works. You don't want your reader to be asking him or herself, 'why should I read this?'.

To those who are saying to themselves, 'I'm not a scientist, I don't know the first thing about how things work. I turn the key in my car and it goes, period', I say, come in at the level that is natural to you and that will be natural to a college-level reader.

Remember clarity is a special concern in the natural sciences and technical writing. Your aim is to transmit technical information accurately and in a way that the reader will understand sufficiently to be able to use what he reads. The intent here is to practice using language which is jargon-free and analogies which actually help readers to visualize and explain something.

It is suggested you do some minimal research, and, therefore, you must document your sources and all verbatim quotations or paraphrases. We will review documentation before this essay is due. You may of course do research, but if you do please make sure your source is reliable and respected e.g., the Encyclopedia Britannica or a specialized encyclopedia in the relevant field is a wonderful source, but junk like World Book , Colliers, are not acceptable. If you take information from the World Wide Web or an e-mail group of any kind, be prepared to verify the expertise of the person whose e- mail you are quoting or the respectability of the host of the website whose information you are relying upon. Length: minimum 3-5 double-spaced typed pages.

Second Essay (#2)

Observing Nature. To be a good scientist you must learn to observe accurately and with as little bias as possible; the conveying of information based on such observation is another basic aim of writing in the natural sciences. Thus our second essay.

You are given the choice of writing about how an animal, or a plant, or some species of natural phenomena behaves. The idea of this essay is to describe nature in an objective and unbiased way, to say in words what it is one observes, and in so doing to explain something which occurs in the natural world without any man-made intervention or transformation.

Suggestions: you might try to develop or confirm a hypothesis about an animal or plant. Here what you do is research patterns of birth or development and watch their strategies for survival, for, obtaining food, for sleep, for creating an environment for themselves, for mating, for interactions with one another. The reason it's good to start with a hypothesis is it can help you decide what to to look for as you watch and, if you like, questions for further research.

• Type 1: If you choose an animal, it is suggested that you go to the zoo, or an aquarium, or, if you can, a farm or stable or ranch and pick an animal and observe it at length. Take detailed notes on your observations. I do not forbid the use of pets as we often know our pets very well; however, you must use your pet to generalize about the species of animal from: do not write an essay on your best friend and the solace of your existence.
• Type 2: A plant is a good choice if you are a gardener already, or (as this is the fall session) have plants in your house. You must also begin early if you want to do this -- Ieave at least two weeks for daily observations.
• Type 3: You can rely on memory, that is, on a experience you have had which you remember very well. It would be best if this were an experience that has been repeated, such as taking care of plants, doing something which involves an engagement with the natural world (hunting, fishing, bird-watching, naturalist observations while walking). I will not accept a description of a video -- if you have never seen a lion except in a video, lions are out; the same things goes for earthquakes or a tornados. The idea is to observe something which has not been prepared by someone else for you. You must use natural phenomena which you can observe. Thus, unless you have access to a reasonably sophisticated telescope, stars, the moon, & comets are out.
• Type 4: Anything you have done in a laboratory in a science course is encouraged even if it occurred a couple of terms ago. This too will require that you remember what you did. You must also rewrite your work in good essay format.
• Type 5: Descriptions of human beings are out unless you are observing something rooted in nature and our biology: for example, sleep or dreams; a new-born infant. I do not want a social satire or cultural story.
• Type 6: You can if you like take a topic from Olson, Krakauer or Levi, so you may chose a more research oriented one, but you still should observe something.

The same remarks about clarity, research and length that apply to Essay #1 apply to Essay #2.

Third Essay (#3)

The Science of Medicine. Primo Levi's The Periodic Table, Danielle Ofri's Singular Intimacies, Le Carre's The Constant Gardener are all variously about the science of medicine as it is really experienced or exploited in human commmunities. So our reading in these and this final essay are assigned to enable us to discuss -- with as much depth as we can -- a single area of science which is today a huge profit-making politicized industry in our society employing and affecting all people, not just the scientifically-, and technically-educated. I ask you to write our one required research essay about how a specific illness, or problem someone has which is treated medically, is experienced in our society, from both the viewpoints of the patient (or customer) and the physician (or anyone who practices some form of medicine). This will require that you understand the illness or condition the individual has, how it relates to what we define as health, its aetiology, and the treatments that are offered to help the individual cope or get better. Here are the options:

1. You may write about how an illness has been treated in the past and is treated today. It need not be a lethal epidemic, but there is a good deal of literature on such illnesses. Examples: small pox, TB, influenza, cholera, measles, AIDS.
2. You may write about a particular case history, kind of medical problem or condition. These include prolonging the life of someone who has permanently lost consciousness and procedures which are controversial. Examples: miscarriages (not well understood), artificial insemination, abortion, various kinds of very expensive procedures to replace organs and cancer therapies.
3. The subject of your essay need not be a dramatic procedure or unusual condition. Just as interesting and perhaps more important are conditions people develop which they can live with for many years, but which require medical care, therapy, or surgical interventions. Such conditions include diabetes, diverticulosis, ulcers, all sorts of problems with the internal organization of the human body, epilepsy, migraine headaches.
4. You may write some aspect of the medical profession. You can write about the way a hospital is organised; the education required of doctors and nurses or technicians. Questions you can ask yourself include: should nurse practitioners replace doctors in some aspect of daily care; if so, do they have to be better educated? what do we mean by better educated? You can also take what we discuss about cultural and social milieus and how people are treated in accordance with their perceived status and discuss how the class, race, gender, and status of someone or the perceived amount of money an individual is paying influences the quality of care that individual receives. You may also choose to discuss how our society should control and pay for medical treatment since it can powerfully affect individual lives and is expensive.
5. I encourage students to write about their own experiences or those of close family members or friends in medicine. Part of the point of this part of the term's work is to encourage the student to think for him or herself, to take initiatives, and to consider science and technology in the context of real people's lives and the social and psychological and economical realities which impinge directly on real people.

This is to be a researched essay, but you are also encourged to use personal experiences. Length: minimum 3-5 double-spaced typed pages.

Four good sources are required. I ask that one of them be a book or essay from a reputable journal which you find in the library.

You can also use as one of your sources an expert (a medically-educated professonal) or individual who have had the illness you are writing about. The point is not to do original research (which you probably do not begin to have time for), but to learn to find and to integrate respectable researched materials into a cogent argument.

The Annotated Bibliography: As part of the researched essay, you will be asked to hand in an annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography provides short summaries and evaluations of the books and essays used in a research paper. The skill of synopsis will be reviewed. Models will be provided.

An Abstract: You will also be asked to hand in an abstract of your own essay. We will in class learn to and practice the art of writing abstracts, of summarising, paraphrasing, and writing synopses.

The Short Talk

Talk is primary and writing secondary. I believe everyone can learn to write more clearly and enjoy writing more if he or she would only learn to talk on paper, to use the real language he or she might use in the classroom or any other natural situation which demands a certain coherence. Much of the advice you will find in John Trimble's Writing With Style is based on this belief. Most science and technical manuals advise the teacher to schedule short talks on topics taken from scientific issues or subject matter. A technical writer must learn to think of his material as something he is really communicating to someone else. The success of the communication of a technical writer is measured not only by how the reader or listener receives it, but by whether the reader or listener truly understands and can make use of what the technically-educated people say or write.

Thus, each student will be asked to prepare a coherent ten to fifteen minute talk for classroom presentation on the readings from one of the four books which is due the day he or she is scheduled to talk upon. The talks will begin the third week of the semester. Fundamentally what you must do is invent a clear instrumental thesis-statement and develop it coherently and concretely.

The whole class will listen and try to respond; their response will tell the student whether he or she has made him or herself clear; the ensuing dialogue and the student's own later thoughts about either what happened when he or she or another student talked will (it is hoped) teach everyone something about the basis of writing -- again, clear thinking in clear language which comes naturally to the speaker-writer.

Each student is asked to hand in an outline or cards (hand-written or typed) which he or she used to talk from, and I will return this material with the grade for the talk in the following session. I have provided a model in the form of a typed-out transcript of the talk one student gave on "Richard Feynman's Definition of a Good Experiment".

In-Class Open Book Book Writing:

Analysing Science Writing and Film. You will be asked to write book and film reviews in class in lieu of a closed book midterm and final. If you become a successful professional in any field, you may find yourself asked to review books, articles and films. The mode will be "open book:" you can bring any books, notes and a good draft to copy out if you like.

The midterm consists of a take-home exam on Trimble, a review of both Feynman books written in class, and questions on the chapters in Olson's Mapping Human History we will be reading.

The final will consist of an inclass book review of Levi's Periodic Table, and Ofri's Singular Intimacies, a film review of either Wit or The Constant Gardener, and short answer questions on the last two chapters in Olson's Mapping Human History, the film Lost at Sea, Krakauer's Into the Wild, the texts of Wit, The Constant Gardener and online essay by Marcia Angell called "The Body Hunters." The short answer questions will be handed out the final session, and the student may write the film review at home.

Reviews follow a conventional format, which we will learn about. Here is an outline for a good book review:

1. the book's context and intended audience;
2. its thesis or theses;
3. your evaluative statement about this thesis and the book's content;
4. a synopsis or summary of its contents;
5. an analysis of the book to reveal how the author's background or biases help or hinder the author and the quality of the evidence.

It is difficult to educate the general public about the natural sciences and applied technology. One way to do it is through film. We will discuss the difficulties of translating science as a topic into moving pictures and what are the means used by film-makers to overcome the technical problems as well as the problem of attracting audiences not well-educated in science. We will also discuss how a film review usually includes some or all of the following points:

1. the film's producer, director, intended audience, and (if applicable) screenplay;
2. its perspective (or "message");
3. your evaluative statement about this perspective;
4. a synopsis or summary of the story or literal content of the film;
5. an analysis of the film's techniques (presentation of characters, use and juxtaposition of scenes, use of music), dialogue, use of real actors, and particular ending to discuss how well or poorly the film conveyed its perspective.

The reviews and questions on Trimble (see directly below) and Sacks are intended to test whether you read all the books with care, watched the films with attention, and to reward those who attended class and listened to the short talks. They will provide practice on how to select, elaborate upon and judge books and films.

The Take-Home Part of the Midterm

I will hand out a 10 question short answer test on John Trimble's Writing With Style. The answers required will not be a single word, but you should not have to write more than a short paragraph to answer each. I will hand it out shortly before the first book review is due. You write the answers at home and bring them in to class on the day of the midterm exam.

Reading and Class Attendance:

Assumptions behind this course : I think that 1) something is to be gained by coming to class, and that we all can learn a great deal from one another; 2) good writing can be discussed in simple words, and exemplified, learned, practiced, and improved through imitation of models; 3) people who write well are often people who read a lot; and 4) the only way to improve one's writing is by much practice over a long period of time; so:

1. Classwork : I want everyone to attend class faithfully, to read all the books, and to participate in class discussions. I ask that you limit your unexcused absences to a minimum; I regard weeks of absence as one basis for a failing grade.
2. Writing Assignments: I have allowed ample time for 1) writing and revision of each essay; for 2) discussion of student models to help you see what is expected and give you ideas on how to go about a particular task; and for 3) the class as a single group to listen to, analyse and comment on one or more of the essays someone in the class has written. I will try my best to write comments on your essays which can help you how better to organize your thoughts, correct your grammar, and write lucidly and engagingly.

Grades:

By the end of the term there should be six grades for each student on my roster. These I will average together to form the final grade. I should have six major grades: three for the three essays; one for the short talk; one for the midterm (an average of the take-home test on Trimble, a book review of the two Feynman books and short-answer questions on Olson's Mapping Human History); and one for the final (an average of the two book reviews, one film review and short answer questions on the reading since the midterm. I also give minor grades for the plans; they tell me how much thought and work you are putting into the paper; if you are working on it; they substitute for diaries; at the end of the term, I will factor them in as "class work" with any in-class writing we do (for which you get a check), and this becomes what I weigh to give you the benefit of the doubt when your average comes out between grades.

The short talk is due on the day set; if you miss an in-class writing, you must make it up at home (but it must be printed out, not hand-written); if your essay is late for four sessions, the grade will be pulled down one element for every session. You will not be permitted to hand in a paper five sessions (basically three weeks) after one is due; then you must take an F. You must give your talk on the day cited on the short talk schedule so as to ensure only one person will talk on a given day. If you do not give your talk, you must take an F and that will be factored into your final grade.

For the final grade for the course also I take into account 1) your attendance record; 2) your plans and participation in class; and 3) if you came for help if you needed it in planning the essay, thinking up a perspective; organizing and revising it. I have no way of producing a number or letter grade for this; rather if you have come to class, participated, done the reading, worked hard on the papers, I will give you the benefit of the doubt if your average for the six grades comes in either above or below a specific grade. A teacher can tell when an essay or short talks is done with care, is something really thought about, something for which a genuine self-educational effort was made. I respect serious hard work and reward it when I see it. I will reward someone whose writing improves. In my courses, process and product count.

The Problem of Plagiarism:

DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Plagiarism is defined by the GMU English Department as follows:

'"Plagiarism means using words, opinions, or factual information from another person without giving that person credit. Writers give credit through accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books and articles consulted is not sufficient."

If I discover you have plagiarised, I will follow the guidelines of the English department which require that I fail or report you to the Chair of my Department. I am serious about this.

How to contact me outside class:

Without an appointment:

Write to me by e-mail. My strongly preferred address is Ellen2@JimandEllen.org Please do not write to me at emoody@osf1.gmu.edu. I rarely look at that address and cannot take attachments through it. You can write me 24 hours a day at Ellen2@JimandEllen.org; I look at my mail at least twice a day, and I write back. Be sure to type the e-mail address to which you wish me to send my reply at the end of your message. Please feel free to write me. I will provide thorough commentary on any drafts of essays that you send me through my e-mail addresses.

You can call the phone in the office I use (703-993-1171) or leave a message in my box in the English Office, which is in Robinson Hall on the fourth floor. My office is Robinson A455. I have no voice mail, and there is no way you can fax me. Remember that I am scheduled to be on campus only on Tuesdays and Thursdays; the secretaries will not call me and simply put notes in my box. Also, leaving essays in my box is a chancy business because materials get lost this way: no-one stands guard over the boxes. If you send an essay through an attachment, it doesn't always come through. The surest speediest way to get a late essay to me is still to bring it to the next class and give it to me warm hand to warm hand.

With an appointment:

Private conferences are available by appointment on Tues/Thurs, 9:30-10:20 am and 2:50- 3:50 pm, Robinson A455. Sign up on the stenography pad which will be placed on the corner of my desk every time the class meets.

Other Help Outside Class

The College of Arts and Sciences runs a University Writing Center where you will find tutors to help you with writing. Their phone number is 703-993-1200. Here is a description of the place and its services:

"The George Mason University Writing Center is a writing resource open to the entire university community, offering free tutoring in a comfortable, supportive atmosphere. During face-to-face and online sessions, trained graduate and undergraduate tutors form a variety of disciplines assist writers at all stage of the writing process. Tutors emphasize positive attitudes and stratgies that help writers at any level learn to evaluate and revise their work in order to be more confident and effective writers."

To find out more and to start to use the services offered, go to http://writingcenter.gmu.edu.

Calendar

Tues/Thurs, Jan 24th/26th

In Class: Course introduction. Explanation of syllabus. Short Talks and Essay #1 explained. The class watches Ralph Leighton's The Last Journey of a Genius.

Outside Class:

For second session of the week, go to my homepage (see above for URL), hit "Teaching", then print out, read and bring to class "The Great American Scream Machine" and "The Golden Gate Bridge"; "The Moving Scala", and From Dictaphone to Disc, plus a typed-out transcript of the short talk one student gave on "Richard Feynman's Definition of a Good Experiment". For second session also read Trimble, Writing with Style, Chs 1-2 and 8.

For next week, read Trimble, Writing with Style, Chs 3-7; also Richard Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman! , Part One (pp 1-97), and What Do YOU Care What Other People Think?, pp 1-59 (Preface through "It's As Simple as One, Two Three"). Read, print out and bring to class model for plan for Essay #1. Be prepared to be assigned one talk for the term from one of the five books (see Short Talk schedules for choices and dates); bring Olson's Mapping Human History with you as well as 2 Feynmans and Trimble.

Tues/Thurs, Jan 31st/Feb 2nd

In Class:

Short Talks Given Out. We'll discuss Trimble: What is a Thesis; Line of Argument; Openers; Middles; Closers. How to Write and Fill a Paragraph; What is a Paragraph; How to Link Them. In-Class Describing a Machine. We'll discuss what is science writing. I'll introduce Mr Feynman and topics in Mapping Human History: A brief review of Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection.

Outside Class: Read for next week Richard Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman! , Parts Two and Three (pp 98-163) and from Part Four (pp. 165-74, "The Dignified Professor", 199-219, "O Americano, Outra Vez!" and 232-36,"An Offer You Must Refuse"), What Do YOU Care What Other People Think?, the rest of Part One (pp. 63-113). Plan for #1 is due on Tues, Sept 13th.

Tues/Thurs, Feb 7th/9th

In Class: PLAN FOR #1 DUE for Tuesday session.

Tues, 2/7: Short Talk 1: RFeynman, boy and young man: The Qualities that Make up the Good Scientist (SYJ, Parts 1 & 2, WDYC, Chapter 1); Short talk 2: RFeynman's criticisms of abuses by people authority, particularly at Los Alamos (i.e., his stories about counterproductive uses of secrecy), but you may include stories exemplifying this theme from elsewhere in the book thus far (so from SYJ, Parts 2 & 3, especially "Los Alamos from Below" and "Safecracker Meets Safecracker").

Thurs, 2/9: Short Talk 3: RFeynman's ideas on what is real scientific learning: what ought to go on in a classroom, be in a book &c (e.g.,"O Americano Outre Vez" and "Judging Books by Their Covers" in SYJ and relevant Letters in WDYC); Short Talk 4: RFeynman's Adventures in Areas Outside Physics: Biology, Psychology, Art, Music and Anthropology ("A Map of the Cat", Always Trying to Escape", "But Is It Art?"; "O Americano Outra Vez!," "Bringing Culture to the Physicists", "Found Out in Paris", "Altered States" in SYJ, and "It's as Simple as One, Two, Three " and relevant "Letters" in WDYC).

Outside class: Read for next week: Olson's Mapping Human History, "Introduction," "The Human Pageant," pp. 1-89, "The End of Evolution, "Individuals and Groups," "The African Diaspora" "Encounters with the Other" (Chs 1-4). Read the rest of Trimble (Chs 9- 13). You should be working on Essay #1. Essay #1 is due Thurs, Feb 23rd.

Tues/Thurs, Feb 14th/16th

In Class:

Tues, 2/14: There are no clear categories of race: from Olson, Mapping Human History: "The End of Evolution" and "Individuals and Groups" (Chs 1-2, pp. 11-53). Class discussion: how study of the genetic composition of people today (DNA in genes, mitochondrial DNA, nucleotide sequences, blood types, haplotypes, haplogroups) demonstrates the origin of homo sapiens in Northeastern Africa; the unity of humankind, and, together with the affinity of languages, enables us to study the migrations of peoples over the earth, and the interaction of their mutations and adaptations to local climates and geological/geographical change. Bibliography and style sessions this and next time.

Thurs, 2/16: Short Talk 6: Early history of modern humans: from Olson, Mapping Human History, "The African Diaspora" and "Encounters with the Other" (Chs 3-4, pp. 54-89). Class discussion: review the second and last parts of Trimble (style, punctuation, how to achieve a voice, do a literary analysis &c).

Outside Class: Read for next week, Feynman, SYJ, Part Five (pp. 237-346); WDYC, Part Two (pp. 113-254). Essay #1 is due Thursday.

Tues/Thurs, Feb 21st/23rd

In Class: ESSAY #1 is DUE for Thursday session.

Tues, 2/21: Short Talk 7: Mr Feynman Goes to Washington: Why some NASA officials are driven to delude themselves and mislead the public ("Mr Feynman Goes to Washington" and "Appendix F" in WDYC, pp. 113-227); Short Talk 8: A World of Pseudo- and Corrupt Science and the Value of Science (Feynman's "Cargo Cult Learning" and "The Value of Science," SYJ, pp. 338-46, WDYC, pp. 239-48)

Thurs, 2/23: I will hand out the take-home test on Trimble. The class watches Peter Jones and David R. Axelrod's Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude.

Outside Class: For Tues, 2/28. Read Olson, Mapping Human History, pp. 90- 105, 124-36, 157-74, 193-207 "Agriculture, Civilization and Ethnicity," "The Great Migration," "Who are the Europeans?" and "The Settlement of the Americas" (Chs 5, 7, 9, 11).

Tues/Thurs, Feb 28th/Mar 2nd

In Class:

Tues, 2/28: Discussion of Lost at Sea: Cranks or Scientific Geniuses? Short Talk 9: Development of Agriculture and Modern Humans spread across the globe: from Olson, Mapping Human History, "Agriculture, Civilization and the Emergence of Ethnicity" and "The Great Migration" (pp. 90-105, 124-36); Short Talk 10: The importance of climate and geography and puzzling questions: from Olson, Mapping Human History, Who are the Europeans" and "The Settlement of the Americas" (pp. 158- 74, 194-207).

Outside Class: For Thurs, 3/2: print out, read and bring to class student models for the book review, one on Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle and Mark Ridley's Darwin Reader and the other on the two Feynman books, and the on-line popular book review by Michael Swaine, and the student models for Essay #2, "Some Observations on the Orangutans," "The White-Tailed Deer", "The California Sea- Lion.", and "Deserts, Wind, and Water".

Thurs, 3/2: How to write a book review; we will go over and I'll assign Essay #2 from the models.

Outside class: tor Thurs, 3/9: Read Jon Krauker's Into the Wild, Author's note and Chs 1-7 (pp. 1-72). We'll continue reviewing Essay #2 and go over midterm.

Tues/Thurs, Mar 7th/9th

In Class:

Tues, 3/7: In class midterm. A Book Review of Feynman's Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman! and What Do YOU Care What Other People Think?. Short answer questions on Olson's Mapping Human History. Hand in take-home test on Trimble at the same time.

Thurs, 3/9: Short talk 11: Early sleuthing and McCandless's view of his quest insofar as we can see it: from Krakauer, Into the Wild (Chs 1-7, pp. 1-69). We review how to do Essay #2, goals, and models.

Outside Class: Get started on or do your project for Essay #2. Essay #2 is due Tues, April 6th. Finish reading Krakauer, Into the Wild, Chs 8-18 and Epilogue (pp. 73-end). Prepare plan for project you want to do for Essay #2. Plan is due Tues, 3/21.

Spring Break: March 12-19th

Tues/Thurs, Mar 21st/23rd

In Class: PLAN for #2 Due Tuesday Session

Tues, 3/21: Plan for #2 due. Short Talk 12: The romance or adventure of Alaska, what it means and Krauker's own journey and idenfication with McCandless from Krakauer, Into the Wild (Chs 8-15, pp. 70-156). Short Talk 13: Krakauer's interpretation of men who walk into the wild and live the way McCandless did and your own (you can agree, disagree, or qualify Krakauer's views by your own): from Krakauer, Into the Wild (Chs 16- Epilogue, pp. 157-end).

Thurs, 3/23: Introducing Levi and comparison of Levi and Krakauer as two scientists. The class watches In Search of the First Language

Outside Class: For next week read from Olson, Mapping Human History, "Sprung from a Common Source" and "The Burden of Knowledge" pp. 158-74, 193-220; Primo Levi, The Periodic Table, Argon through Iron, pp. 3-50.

Tues/Tues, Mar 28th/30th

In Class:

Tues, 3/28: Short Talk 14: The Unity and History of Languages: On the film, In Search of a First Language and from Olson, "Sprung from a Common Source" (pp. 137- 54). Short talk 15: Another portrait of a scientist as a young man: from Primo Levi, The Periodic Table, Argon through Iron (pp. 3-50).

Thurs, 3/30: Class cancelled. I suggest everyone take this opportunity to view The Constant Gardener on their own. You need not watch it precisely on 3/30, but you should have seen the film before we begin discussing the book

Thurs/Tues, Apr 4th/6th

In Class:

Tues, 4/4: Short talk 16: Another portrait of the scientist as a young man: from Primo Levi, The Periodic Table, Potassium and Nickel and Phosphorus (pp. 5078, 107-126). We will go over student models for research essay.

Thurs, 4/6: Short talk 17: Surviving WW2 in a Concentration Camp as a scientist: from Primo Levi, em>The Periodic Table, Gold and Chromium (pp. 127-60). The class watches as much of Mike Nichols and Emma Thompson's film, Wit as time allows.

Outside Class: For 4/11 or 4/13 print out and bring to class models for Essay #3: "Improving Life with Arthritis"; "The Real Afteraffects of Abortion"; "Ritalin and ADHD"; "Dental Implants", "Cesarean Childbirth: A Modern Convenience?"; and "Unraveling the Mystery". Read for Thurs, 4/13: Primo Levi, The Periodic Table, Sulfer through Tin (pp. 160- 199), and Silver through Carbon (pp. 200-33) Essay #2 due 4/11.

Tues/Tues, Apr 11th/13th

In Class: ESSAY #2 IS DUE for Tuesday session.

Tues, 4/11: The class finished watching Wit. We will discuss how to write an abstract and how to write an annotated bibliography. Introducing Essay #3.

Thurs, 4/13: Short talk 18: Setting up in business as a chemist: from Primo Levi, The Periodic Table, Sulfer through Tin (pp. 160-199): Setting up in business as a chemist. Short Talk 19: Coda and Remeeting the Torturer: from Primo Levi, The Periodic Table, Silver through Carbon (pp. 200-33). Introducing Ofri's journey and the topic of medicine as a subculture in our society. We go over Models for Essay #3.

Outside Class: Read online article by Marcia Angell, "The Body Hunters" and as much of The Constant Gardener as you can (or finish it). For 4/18 read, print out and do Practice 1.

Thurs/Tues, Apr 18th/20th

In Class:

Tues, 4/18: Short Talk 20: Drugs and politics as presented in the film and LeCarre's novel, The Constant Gardener. Short Talk 21: Compare Levi's, McCandless, Krakauer and Justin Quayle's characters: from Primo Levi, Periodic Table, Lead and Mercury (pp. 79-108) and Into the Wild and The Constant Gardener in general. We go over Practice I for how to write an abstract.

Thurs, 4/20: Short talk 22: The Abuse of Vivian Bearing: from the film and screenplay. How to write a film review. Class discussion of The Constant Gardener, book and film.

Outside Class: For Tuesday, 4/26: Read, Ofri, Singular Intimacies, pp. 1-129 ("Possessing Her Words" through "Immunity" (Chs 1-10, but skipping Chapter 3, pp. 32-52). Plan for Essay #3 due 4/25. For Thursday, 4/27: Print out and do Practice II for Abstracts.

Tues/Thurs, Apr 25th/27th

In Class: Plan for Essay #3 due 4/25.

Tues, 4/25: Short Talk 23: What is the Doctor's responsibility towards the patient and patient's towards the doctor?: from Ofri's Singular Intimacies (Prologues and Chs 1, 2, 4, 8, "Drawing Blood," "AA Battery," "Change of Heart," "In Charge," pp. 1-32, 53- 70, 113-129, and "Common Ground," xerox handed out). Short Talk 24: When Knowledge doesn't help: from Ofri's Singular Intimacies (Chs 5- 7, 10, "July 1st," "The Professor of Denial," "The Burden of Knowledge," "Immunity," pp. 70-112, 138-60).

Thurs, 4/27: Short Talk 25: How is Tessa Quayle presented in the film v the book, and how do others treat her in the novel: from The Constant Gardner (the whole novel). Do Practice II in class.

Outside class: Finish Ofri's Singular Intimacies ("Positive" through "Merced" and Epilogue, "Possessing Her Words", pp. 173-243, skipping Chapter 11, pp. 161-72). Read, print out and bring to class student models for book and film reviews, "Racism must go", "The Difficult Profession of Medicine", Opening Scenes and Themes in A Month in the Country, Spellbinding and Entertaining: "Lost at Sea"

Tues/Thurs, May 2nd/4th

In Class:

Tues, 5/2: Short talk 26: Can physicians be useful, and if so, what do they need to do?: from Ofri's Singular Intimacies (Chs 13, 14, and 15, ""M&M," "Intensive Care," "Merced," pp. 188-236). Begin progress reports on Essay #3.

Thurs, 5/4: Finish progress reports on Essay #3. Review for final.

Outside Class: Finish Essay #3. Prepare to write in-class open book final reviews (see below).

The Final: Thurs/Tues,

Section 302.N11: The day, time and place of the final: Thurs 5/11 10:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m, Robinson A123

Section 302.N12: The day, time and place of the final: Tues. 5/16 10:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m, Robinson B103

Section 302.N13: The day, time, and place of the final: Thurs. 5/11 1:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m, B103.

Bring with you printed out Research Essay #3 (it should have an abstract and annotated bibliography). The final should consist of an inclass book review of Levi's Periodic Table, and Ofri's Singular Intimacies, a film review of either Wit or The Constant Gardener, and short answer questions on the last two chapters in Olson's Mapping Human History, the film Lost at Sea, Krakauer's Into the Wild, the texts of Wit, The Constant Gardener and online essay by Marcia Angell called "The Body Hunters." The short answer questions will be handed out the final session, and the student may write the film review at home.