First-Year Seminars 110GA - Gods and Monsters: Science and Scientists in the Modern World

Since its origins as a recognizable genre in the early 19th century, scientists have been central figures in horror literature. In these stories where they inspire anxiety, fear, and occasionally hope, scientific knowledge-makers, their practices, and their ability to manipulate the natural world are often placed in opposition to more traditional ways of being. This seminar examines significant episodes in the history of science over the last two hundred years -- from the emergence of evolutionary theory in the 19th century through the quantum mechanical and biochemical revolutions of the 20th -- alongside the enduring cultural responses they have inspired in horror literature and film.

Mount Holyoke first-year students only, by placement.