Science,  Society and Global Threats

ZOO 291, GEO 297, PolSc 298

3 credits, Fall, 2003
(NS for Zoo & Geo; SS for Pol)

The historical, scientific, and social aspects of each theme will be examined from different perspectives, and solutions will be proposed and analyzed.  The course emphasizes the different approaches to scientific knowledge and the importance of being an informed user of this knowledge as a responsible citizen. 

TR  4:00-5:15  pm

Lecture Hall 233

Office Hours will be posted on Blackboard

Goals of course

References

Proficiencies

General Advice

Schedule of  topics

Begin Viral Plagues  by Dr. Prahl 

Influenza, SARS, Smallpox, Monkeypox

HIV/AIDS - Dr. Prahl

Hand out 1st test on 25th, due Oct 2

Prahl and Burger 

Bacterial  Plagues:  TB,  Bubonic, and Anthrax

Drs. Prahl and Burger 

Drs. Prahl and Burger 

Models of Infection plus Politics of Plagues  Plagues:  Dr. Martin,  Dr. Burger 

Hand out 2nd test on 21st, due the 28th.  

"Science, Values, and  Environmentalism;" - Dr. Montgomery ;    

Dr. Burger

Drs. Burger & Montgomery

Dr. Montgomery

Dr. Burger

Final exam take-home handed out

Goals of course

1. To understand the science of diseases, ozone, and global warming.  
2. To learn how to distinguish between science and pseudo-science.
3. To illustrate the value and cost of the scientific enterprise and to promote rational examination of the appropriate public policy choices.
4. To examine how scientific knowledge,  risk assessment, and values  impact public policy making internationally and domestically.. 
5. To understand how global problems and programs are handled internationally and within the US

References:  Go to External Links button on Blackboard, or click on link below to find specific links to important sites. 

http://www.uwmc.uwc.edu/is/gclinks.htm

Journals of particular relevance, which you can access in your library, include The Economist, Physics Today, Science News, and Scientific American.  Two highly technical journals are Nature and Science, but both include sections commenting on current matters.  

The Blackboard web site will have documents posted as well as assignments, test questions, grades, etc.   Your log in and password are:

Your blackboard username is the same as your UW Colleges email user name. This is typically: the first four letters of your LAST NAME, followed by the first letter of your FIRST NAME, followed by the last four digits of your PRISM ID number. Example: Joe Student, with PRISM ID 0123456 would have ‘studj3456’ for a username.  

Your Blackboard password is the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, followed by !!, followed by the last two digits of your birth year. Example: 1234!!81

 http://blackboard2.imt.uwm.edu/

Let your instructor-of-record  know ASAP if there are log-on problems. 

• 2  tests on plagues & politics @ 24%          = 48%

  • 16% Prahl; 8% Burger

  • 16% Prahl; 5% Burger. 3% Martin

• 2  tests plus interactive questions @ 24% = 48%

  • 16% Montgomery; 8% Burger

  • 16% Montgomery; 5% Burger, 3% Martin

• Class participation-                                          =   4%

General Advice and Counsel

We strongly encourage you to work together in groups--you learn better.    If you have difficulty meeting together, remember that Blackboard offers discussion boards (and we can set up special small-groups for discussion--just ask).  That kind of interaction is better than nothing.  Remember, all your instructors can be reached by email and phone, and we don't mind if you're calling or coming as a group.  

However, even when an idea has been discussed and agreed on by everyone in a group, you should use your own words to write it down in your exam/paper.  Do not copy someone else's wording, or send in a paper identical to others in your group. (We catch those.)  Plagarism is not only against school policy but also unethical, and will not be tolerated. 

There will be no curving of grades.  Minimum passing is 60%.

• Constant attendance is assumed. 
  • Announcements may not be repeated, so that faithful attendees will not be subjected to repetitious definition of terms and announcements.
   
• Tests are take-home and are due on the date specified.  In emergencies instructors can grant a delay, but  answers  received after we return graded tests  will not be accepted. 
• If you send us a paper attached to email, it must be done as a Microsoft Word attachment using your student e-mail account.  

General Advice

The lecture/discussions will be more useful if you are current in the reading assignments.  We may omit or briefly cover some topics (not because they are without merit, but to avoid spreading ourselves too thin.)  If students so desire, we may cover some topics in more detail, and we're always willing to answer questions about the readings.  Reading assignments will be given for the next  lecture, usually identified by author. 

What is expected from you?  Study the figures and illustrations of scientific principles and results.  Are they based on experiments or conjecture?  Is there a term you cannot define?  If you skip class and are behind in the reading you may not be able to follow the lectures with so many new terms you don't recognize.  If you are current, and we are running off without explaining a term, please challenge us to explain ourselves.  If we're referring to something we talked about weeks earlier, ask us to clarify.  We want you to understand. 

As you read ask yourself "How is this known?  Nature is the true authority, not the text or handouts!  Is the fact deduced from experiments, from observations, or merely definition?  Laws, Theories, Models, Hypotheses, and Scenarios are all generalizations from nature of descending certainty, which may be inconsistent with later discoveries.  We hope to tell you how nature "works" and how we come to know it.   On public policy, we'll be using certain classifications and categories throughout the course, from topic to topic. 

The set of references at the end of each handout provide access to other treatments of the subject which may help you understand the concepts better.  The web sites may help explain concepts and problems also. 

If this is your first science class, or if you are uncertain how to read a science text, read carefully the handout in your packet "On Mathematics and how to Read a Science Textbook." If you still have questions, come and see us, email us, phone us.  Ask in class. 

It is obvious that each student has different ideas as to what constitutes a good class and a good instructor.  It should also be obvious that we will not know if there is a problem in the class unless you tell us so.  If you have any suggestions for making the class better, or if you have a problem with the way we present things, use the "evaluation" form handed out at any time during the semester.  Do not wait until it is too late to "fix" whatever the problem may be.  We cannot read what you are thinking.  You are as much responsible for what you are learning as we are.  Be active in class, learn how to defend your opinions, learn how to accept someone else's if they are right;  express your concerns, make constructive suggestions; learn to "think on your feet."  Use this course to learn and to learn how to learn.  Do not worry about grades, yours or anybody else's.  You should try and do the best you can compared to the standards we set for this class.  The degree to which you meet them will correspond to your grade.  

Proficiencies

We will address the following proficiencies in this course.

1.  Analyze, synthesize, evaluate and interpret information and ideas.

(a) Read and listen with comprehension and critical perception.

Thanks to

for graphics