History 291EH - S-Food, Water, Shelter

This seminar explores our historic relationships with food, water, and shelter, with a strong focus on the history of science. Using a variety of sources aimed at diverse audiences, this course will investigate topics such as the biological and cultural heritage of food and eating, agriculture and sustainability, the scientific analysis of drinking water and its role in public health debate, urban planning and suburban development, the fallout shelter and American nuclear policy, and the mathematics of acoustics in modern architectural design. Topics will touch on environmental history, evolution, epidemiology, neuroscience, germ theory, physics, policy and politics, the role of the scientific expert, technological development, and the relationship between science and society.

Open to Senior, Junior, and Sophomore Commonwealth College students only.