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HPS History and Philosophy of Science & Technology Courses HPS200Y1 The culture of the natural sciences, explored through revolutionary bursts of
innovation that propelled science in new and sometimes unexpected directions. Although
some familiarity with scientific concepts is helpful, the course is designed for students
in both the sciences and the humanities. HPS201H1 Technology and its place in our culture from Antiquity to the beginnings of the
Industrial Revolution. Relations between technology and science, religion, the arts,
social institutions, and political beliefs. HPS202H1 A survey of technical change and its social implications from the Industrial Revolution
to the present. HPS250H1 This course critically examines several influential models of science and ideas of
objectivity, rationality, theory change, revolution in science and the growth of
scientific knowledge. (A suitable pre-cursor to PHL355H) HPS299Y1
HPS306H1 An examination of the tools of war in the Western world from the Middle Ages to World
War II, including not only weapons but the means of transportation, communication, and
organization used in violent conflict. The effects of war on the development of science
and technology. HPS307H1 The history of human control of various sources of energy, including technical
developments, scientific theories, and impact on culture and society. Recent debates on
fossil fuel and nuclear power examined in historical context. HPS311H1 Topics in the history of physics from antiquity to the 20th century, including
Aristotelian physics, Galileo, Descartes, electromagnestism, thermodynamics, statistical
mechanics, relativity, quantum physics, and particle physics. The development of theories
in their intellectual and cultural contexts. HPS312H1 The emergence of the modern discipline of chemistry from 1785 to 1939. Seminar
discussions focus on key papers of important Historical analysis of the interplay between
theory and practice, and of the dynamics of scientific communities HPS314Y1 A survey of medical theory and practice from Antiquity to the modern welfare state,
with emphasis on social, cultural and political setting. HPS323H1 A close examination of the theory advanced in Darwin's Origin of Species, including
historical investigation of its development in European thought in general and in Darwin's
mind in particular, and the logic and strategy of Darwin's argument. Consideration of the
effect of evolutionary ideas on science, religion and social thought in the 19th and 20th
centuries, including eugenics, the Scopes trial and sociobiology. HPS324H1 Historical examination of the interactions of science (both as body of knowledge and as
enterprise) with ideological, political and social issues. The impact of science; attacks
on and critiques of scientific expertise as background to contemporary conflicts. Subjects
may vary according to students' interests. HPS326H1 From its origins in the Renaissance, modern science has developed in the context of
European religious beliefs and institutions. Although cases of conflict like Galileo or
the "Monkey Trial" are famous, more common are cases of scientists like Newton
or Faraday whose religious convictions were crucial to their scientific success. HPS333H1 Classic episodes from the history of physiology, cell theory, embryology, genetics, and
molecular biology, including the work of Aristotle, Galen, Harvey, Descartes, Roux,
Mendel, Morgan, Watson and Crick. PHL355H1 (See "Philosophy") HPS360H1 Conceptions of universe since 1800 with attention to observational sources of changing
ideas. History of large telescopes, stellar spectroscopy and radio astronomy. Relativistic
conceptions of space and time, models of stellar evolution, discovery of extra-galactic
nebulae, Hubble red-shift and microwave background radiation. Philosophical and religious
implications are examined. HPS390H1 A survey of ancient, medieval, and early modern mathematics with emphasis on historical
issues. (Offered in alternate years) HPS391H1 A survey of the development of mathematics from 1700 to the present with emphasis on
historical issues. (Offered in alternate years) HPS410H1 An historical survey from pre-Greek to the present. Various themes are emphasized year
to year, to show mathematics as changing and evolving. A student could expect to gain an
historical overview as well as a sense of the unity of the mathematical sciences. HPS412H1 Advanced level survey of biological science from ancient Greece to the 20th century
emphasizing primary sources analyses. HPS427H1 The development of chemistry from the Chemical Revolution of Lavoisier to the periodic
table of Mendeleev: electro-chemistry, the rise of organic chemistry, classification,
valency, structural chemistry. HPS430H1 An advanced survey of the history of technology from Antiquity to the Industrial
Revolution. HIS431H1 An advanced survey of the history of technology from the Industrial Revolution to
modern times. HPS495Y1 TBA HPS496H1/497H1 TBA HPS498H1/499H1 TBA |
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