CoursesBiology and Society
BIOL 3851-301

Biology and Society

Tuesdays, 3:30 pm-6:29 pm 

This course uses a biological foundation to explore general issues at the interface of biology and society. We will use both historical and contemporary reading materials, with an emphasis on the primary scientific literature, to inform discussions on often controversial issues in biology as well as the social responsibility of scientists to respond to these issues. The course will cover how science has shaped social and political opinions on such topics as race, ethnicity, and gender, as well as how society and politics are influenced by and impact science. This course will provide a background and context in which to consider, anticipate, and respond to biology’s present and future ethical and social implications.

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PSYC 3446-001

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Instructor(s)

  • Martin Seligman

Semester

Spring 2024

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 pm-1:29 pm

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Instructors: Martin Seligman, Frank Jackson

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Failure to Communicate

Instructor(s)

  • Carlin Romano

Semester

Spring 2024

Mondays, 7:00 pm-9:59 pm

The phrase “failure to communicate” became iconic in American English from the 1967 film “Cool Hand Luke,” in which Paul Newman played a convict who refuses to listen or follow orders. The film raised questions about the multiple ways we understand “failure to communicate” and its consequences. Is it sometimes a decision to resist a presumption, a premise, an interpretation, an argument, a directive from authority? Is it at other times simply a mechanical failure? This course examines “failure to communicate” in multiple cultural areas, among them literature, romance, politics, show business, law, science, war, psychology, philosophy, business, religion, humor and education.

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