Science and Social Justice
ALAN MCGOWAN, New School University
June 10-12, 2004 in Stony Brook Manhattan, New York City Apply: SUSB

This course will focus on the various ways that science has been used, and misused, in the cause of social justice. In addition to the science itself, we will examine the lives of several scientists who have used their science as well as their prestige to further social causes in which they believed.

Among the topics to be covered are: Eugenics, IQ, the environment, particularly in its early days, race and racism, and nuclear and security issues. Among the scientists we will examine are: Albert Einstein, Charles Drew, Stephen Jay Gould, Sidney Drell, Frank von Hippel, and Marie and Irene Curie.

Students will study genetics, nuclear theory, and environmental science, in the course of the weekend’s work.

Alan McGowan is the Founder and President of the Gene Media Forum, a non-profit organization that focuses on providing information on all aspects of the genetic revolution to journalists. The Forum’s purpose is to stimulate a wide debate on the ethical, social, and scientific aspects of genetics and related fields. He is also chair of the Science, Technology, and Society Program at Eugene Lang College and of the science program in the University Undergraduate Liberal Studies program, both of New School University. Previously, he was for twenty years the president of the Scientists’ Institute for Public Information, a major bridge between the scientific community and the media.

For college teachers in all disciplines. Prerequisites: none