UMass Boston

Course Overview

Description

The Perspective on Science and Mathematics course explores a selection of topics and episodes in the history of science and mathematics. You will understand that these disciplines are not merely a body of facts, theories, and techniques. rather, they involve diverse processes by which knowledge is continually generated and reformulated. Sciences typically discussed in Perspectives include biology, physics, geology, astronomy, and chemistry. The course traces the development of key notions in these sciences and seeks to correct common myths or defective portrayals of history in science textbooks. We will also discuss the question of whether mathematics is itself a science. The course provides historical perspectives on how practical needs, social conflicts, and even individual personalities shaped the content and direction of the disciplines. An additional objective of the course is to convey that scientific and mathematical concepts are not static. The goal of the course is to promote among UTeach students the understanding that even the most basic ideas of science and mathematics are dynamic, despite the way this information is presented in K-12 textbooks.