0835. Cyberspace & Society (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1041 (0060).)

Cyberspace technology empowers us to do more, but it also has a societal impact. It raises new questions regarding the use and misuse of information obtained from the Internet. For example, what is the impact of the Internet on intellectual property? How far can computer surveillance go to detect criminal behavior without reducing our civil liberties? How can vulnerable groups be protected from predators, scam artists, and identity theft? Does privacy even exist anymore? You will develop an understanding of the technologies behind the Internet, the web and your computer, and then use this knowledge to evaluate the social and ethical implications of this technology.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Computer & Information Science department.

0836. Disasters: Geology vs. Hollywood (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1047.)

Clips from Hollywood disaster movies will drive our inquiry into geologic phenomena. Can you really drive over a lava flow in a jeep? (Dante’s Peak) Are we foolish not to prepare for a major earthquake in New York City? (Aftershock) Could global warming melt the polar ice caps turning “dry land” into a myth? (Waterworld) Would the impact of an asteroid the “size of Texas” kill half the Earth by heat and freeze the remainder in a nuclear winter? (Armageddon) Learn the fundamentals of plate tectonics, how petrologic properties control volcanic explosivity, how to calculate earthquake locations from seismic data, and prepare a disaster readiness plan for a major U.S. city.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Geology department.

0837. Evolution & Extinctions (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1045 (0064).)

Did an asteroid impact wipe out the dinosaurs? Can “natural” Earth-based processes also cause mass extinctions? Long before the dinosaurs, another mass extinction destroyed 90 percent of life on Earth, without an impact. Should we be less worried about rocks from space, and more about “down to Earth” phenomena such as climate change, volcanism, or disease? Basic geologic principles and the fundamentals of evolutionary thought combine to bring to life the 4.6 billion year story of our planet and its creatures. Through hands-on experience with fossils and rocks, students investigate changes in life through time, and discover how to decipher past environments from the geologic record.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Geology department.

0839. Powering the Future (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1044 (0063).)

How can we provide inexpensive, safe, environmentally clean energy supplies for the United States and the world as a whole despite rising population and increasing affluence? Study problems of our conventional fossil and nuclear fuel use, and how they might be relieved; explore the physical and technological possibilities for using energy much more efficiently; investigate various renewable-energy sources (such as solar, hydrogen cells, hydropower, and biofuels) that significantly reduce effects on the environment. In the course lab projects, you will research and develop a sustainable energy proposal for your own home, campus, or community.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Physics department.

0841. Sustainable Design (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1049.)

What’s the big deal about global warming and how should we respond to it? Explore the issues and underlying causes. See how contemporary designers from Germany, Netherlands, UK and Japan are responding to scientific knowledge with sustainable designs for buildings, cars, towns and parks. Develop your own creative project to reduce the greenhouse effect. Have you ever wondered about what happens to local abandoned factories and degraded streams and rivers? Philadelphia is a national hotbed for sustainable design. Visit local restoration sites, modern “green” buildings, parks that reclaim waste water and transformed industrial parks to see firsthand what is happening in our area. Learn how design is transforming to propel us toward a low waste, energy conserving society in the 21st century.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Landscape Architecture department.

0842. Sustainable Environments (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1141.)

Americans account for over a quarter of all fossil fuel consumption, own more cars than there are licensed drivers, and build new homes 40 percent larger than they did in 1975, despite shrinking household size. We feel for the pandas and polar bears, while contributing mightily to global climate change, resource inequity, and ecosystem destruction. How do we reckon with environmental crises at multiple scales, from the neighborhood to the atmosphere and oceans? “Think globally, act locally” environmentalists admonish us! Direct our vast human ingenuity and collective spirit toward technologies and behaviors that bring peace with the planet. Course mission: enhance your capability to make informed choices, based on a sound understanding of the ecological, technological, economic, political, and ethical dimensions of environmental sustainability.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: Geography & Urban Studies, Geology.

0843. Technology Transformations (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1043 (0062).)

Expand your knowledge by looking at how various technologies such as electricity, automobiles, airplanes, telephones, bridges, highways, electronics, computers, and information technology have transformed the world around us. What would we do without them? Where do they come from? How do they work? Technology is developed by people who have the ideas, design the machines and processes, and suffer the costs and benefits of technological changes in our society. Learn about science and technology through history of discovery, invention and innovation through lectures and labs. We will also study several promising fields which may lead us to the future of technology.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Mechanical Engineering department.

0844. The Bionic Human (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1048.)

Can we replace our “worn-out” body parts with space-age materials? Will the day come when an injured athlete buys a tendon for the next big game? Why are your parents spending so much time at the doctor? We are on the verge of building “the bionic human” by repairing many of our body parts indefinitely. Become familiar with bio-engineered technologies for age-, disease-, sports-, and accident-related injuries. Learn why weight bearing exercise strengthens bones, the difference between MRI, CAT scan, and X-Ray, and what the folks at the Food and Drug Administration do. By the time you finish this course, you’ll know how a pig heart could save your life, how stem cell research could affect your future, the purpose of animal testing, and why walking through airport security could be a problem if you have had your hip replaced.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Mechanical Engineering department.

0845. The Environment (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1042 (0061).)

You can extend your longevity and improve your health by identifying and avoiding the top 10 environmental toxins that enter and persistently stay in your body. Develop connections between the environment and everyday life. Enhance your awareness of current environmental issues by taking part in discussion and debate: Is Global Warming for real? Should the US sign the Kyoto protocol? Are we running out of oil? Learn as you go on campus field trips, try hands-on experiments and hear presentations from experts on the energy crisis, global climate change, acid rain, ozone depletion, resource sustainability, biodiversity and the environmental impact of natural phenomenon. Sharpen your strategies and leave a better environment for future generations.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Civil Engineering department.

0846. Universe As We Know It (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1046 (0065).)

This course involves scientific thinking in the context of the study of astronomy. The course includes the intersection of ethics and science, for example: heroic individual resistance to repressive authority (Galileo), the changing role of women in science (from Pickering’s Harem to Sally Ride), and the use of science to further political agendas (Kennedy’s moon landing program). The course involves extensive use of web resources, the planetarium theater, and self-guided observing assignments.

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Physics department.

0935. Honors Cyberspace & Society (3 s.h.) Core: SB.

(Formerly: GE-SCI 1941 (H060).)

Cyberspace technology empowers us to do more, but it also has a societal impact. It raises new questions regarding the use and misuse of information obtained from the Internet. For example, what is the impact of the Internet on intellectual property? How far can computer surveillance go to detect criminal behavior without reducing our civil liberties? How can vulnerable groups be protected from predators, scam artists, and identity theft? Does privacy even exist anymore? You will develop an understanding of the technologies behind the Internet, the web and your computer, and then use this knowledge to evaluate the social and ethical implications of this technology. (This is an Honors course.)

Note: This General Education `Science/Technology` pilot course counts toward the Core Science & Technology second level (SB) requirement. This course is offered by the Computer & Information Science department.
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