GE 301: Science, Technology, and Society - Fall 2007

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Course description (PDF)

Instructors

• Haldun Ozaktas, haldun[a-t]ee bilkent edu tr, tel: 1619, EA-204, Off.hours: Tu 11:50-13:50
• Ahmet Ucer, ucerah[a-t]gmail com

Assistants

• Ayca Ozcelikkale, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, ayca[a-t]ee bilkent edu tr, tel: 1613, EA-226, Off.hours: Tu 10:40-11:30
• Onur Tan, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, otan[a-t]ee bilkent edu tr, EA-131, Off.hours: W 14:40-15:30
• Onur Onder, Department of Computer Engineering, oonder[a-t]cs bilkent edu tr, tel: 1401, EA-529, Off.hours: M 10:40-11:30
• Ozcan Oksuz, Department of Computer Engineering, oksuz[a-t]cs bilkent edu tr, tel: 1425 , EA-530, Off.hours: F 12:40-13:30
• V. Egemen Ulusan, Department of Industrial Engineering, ulusan[a-t] bilkent edu tr, tel: 2084 , EA-330, Off.hours: Tu 12:40-13:30

Course Materials

• Required Textbooks:
  L. S. Hjorth, B. A. Eichler, A. S. Khan, and J. A. Morello. Technology and Society: A Bridge to the 21st Century, second edition. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 2003. (exists in reserve)
  T. Easton. Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Science, Technology, and Society, seventh edition. McGraw-Hill, 2006. (exists in reserve)
• Recommended Textbooks:
  W. M. Evan and M. Manion. Minding the Machines: Preventing Technological Disasters. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 2002. (exists in reserve)
  R.E. McGinn. Science, Technology, and Society. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1991. (exists in reserve)
• Required readings as given under assignments below.
• Optional readings (available in reserve section of library)
  The sources of most of these readings are available in the library. If you are unable to locate the source of any of these readings in the library, please contact ayca[a-t]ee bilkent edu tr

Assignments for each week

• Week 1 (25 Sept.): First meeting.  
  Take the test on http://www.politicalcompass.org/ and mark your result on the relevant chart on Political Profile Analysis (leave the remaining charts on this sheet blank).
  Take the quiz on http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html and mark you result on the printed version of the quiz.
  Also try to mark, on both charts, your understanding of the positions of at least 6 leading political parties in Turkey.
  Be sure to bring both sheets of paper to class with you.
  Read Introduction to Political Ideologies (you are not responsible for following the links, you are responsible only for the given text).
• Week 2 (2 Oct.):  From Easton: Issue 10: Should potential risks slow the development of nanotechnology? pp.178-195, Issue 5: Is it time to revive nuclear power?
  pp.88-105, Issue 19: Is it ethically permissible to clone human beings? pp.347-372. Optional reading: Introduction: pp.xv-xxvii.
• Week 3 (9Oct.): From Hjorth: Part 1: Ethics and Technology: Objectives p.3, Introduction pp.3-4, Ethics pp.5-22, Doing Well by Doing Good pp.39-43, Whistle-Blowing pp.44-45, Case Study: Roger Boisjoly pp.46-47.
  Part 2: History of Technology: Objectives p.53, Introduction p.53, Conclusion p.69.
• Week 4 (16 Oct.): From Hjorth: Part 3: Energy: Objectives p.71, Introduction pp.71-77, Fossil Fuel Fundamentals pp.78-87, The Immortal Waste pp.90-100, Case Study: Nuclear Warriors pp.101-110, Solar Energy pp.120-123, Wind Power pp.124-125, Hydroelectric Power pp.130-132, Conclusion p.144.
• Week 5 (23 Oct.): From Hjorth: Part 4: Ecology: Objectives p.155, Introduction pp.155-167, The Grim Payback of Greed pp.168-174, Young at Risk pp.175-182, Buried Displeasure: The Love Canal pp.191-192, Earth Day: 25 Years pp.208-214, Earth Day 2000: A 30-Year Report Card pp.226-227, 7 Moments that Helped Define ... p.228, And 7 Moments (Past and Future) that could ... pp.229-230.
• Week 6 (30 Oct.): From Hjorth: Part 5: Population: Objectives p.235, Introduction pp.235-255, The Great Leap Forward pp.256-265, Can the Growing Human Population Feed Itself? pp.273-277, World Birth Control Discussion Issues pp.281-287, Earth's Carrying Capacity: Not Quite So Easy When Applied to Humans pp.316-318, Conclusion pp.319-320.
• Week 7 (6 Nov.): Midterm Examination
• Week 8 (13 Nov.): From Easton: Issue 14: Does the internet strengthen community? pp.252-270
• Week 9 (20 Nov.): From Hjorth: Part 6: Health and Technology: Objectives p.325, Introduction p.325, Baby It's You! And You, and You... pp.326-332, Antibiotic Resistance pp.333-334, The Politics of Life and Death: Global Responses to HIV and AIDS pp.335-342, Physician-Assisted Suicide pp.343-345, Future Genetic Testing p.346, Conclusion pp.348-349.
• Week 10 (27 Nov.): From Hjorth: Part 7: Technology and the Third World: Objectives p.353, Introduction pp.353-354, One Planet: Many Worlds pp.355-383, China's Challenge to the United States and to the Earth pp.388-394, N30 WTO Showdown pp.395-403, Pakistan: Karachi's Informal "Recycling Network" pp.404-407, Appropriate Technologies pp.411-420, Conclusion p.442.
• Week 11 (4 Dec.):From Hjorth: Part 8: Technology of the Future: Objectives p.451, Introduction pp.451-453, Creating the Future pp.454-466, Trends Now Changing the World: Economics and Society, Values and Concerns, Energy and Environment pp.467-480, Telemedicine: The Health System of Tomorrow pp.486-488, New Horizons of Information Technology pp.498-501, Future Ecology: Is the Kyoto Climate Agreement Still Alive Due to the Bonn, 2001 Meeting? pp.507-510.
• Week 12 (11 Dec.): From Evan and Manion:Chapter 1: Technological Disasters: An Overview pp.3-28.
  Chapter 2: Natural and Human-Made Disasters pp.29-43 (up to "Broken Arrows").
• Week 13 (18 Dec.):From Evan and Manion:Chapter 10: The Responsibilities of Engineers and Scientists pp.317-345.
  Chapter 14: Technology Decisions and the Democratic Process pp.432-438, 444-467 (excluding "Participatory Technology").

Lectures or presentations

• Week 1 (25 Sept.):   Haldun Ozaktas: Political Positions and Science and Technology Issues                         
  - Included in the exam                                 
• Week 2 (2 Oct.):      No Lecture.
• Week 3 (9 Oct.):      No Lecture.
• Week 4 (16 Oct.):    Cemil Turun: Turkiye'de yuksek teknoloji arastirma-gelistirme maceralari.
  - Not included in the exam, attendance required
• Week 5 (23 Oct.):    No Lecture.
• Week 6 (30 Oct.):    Haldun Ozaktas: History of Technology.
  - Included in the exam
• Week 7 (6 Nov.):      Midterm,  Ahmet Ucer: Technology, Globalization and Social Development. The lecture slides can be reached here.
   Included in the final examination                              
• Week 8 (13 Nov.):    Ahmet Ucer: Knowledge Society and Human Wellbeing.The lecture slides can be reached here.
  - Included in the exam
• Week 9 (20 Nov.):   “Taking Sides” discussion.
  -Included in the exam, attendance required
• Week 10 (27 Nov.):  Ahmet Ucer: Converging Technologies and Society.  The lecture slides can be reached here.
  - Included in the exam
• Week 11 (4 Dec.):    Haldun Ozaktas: "Issues in Public Choice of Technologies: Turkish Keyboard Layouts, Computer Operating Systems, Emissions Certification of Computer Monitors, Genetically Engineered Seeds and Foods, Consumer Electronics versus Healthcare Research". If you know Turkish, you may optionally read the article Acik Kaynak Kodlu Yazilimlar
  - Included in the exam
• Week 12 (11 Dec.):  Haldun Ozaktas: Copyrights, Patents, and Trade Secrets. Showing of the film at  www.storyofstuff.com
  - Included in the exam
• Week 13 (18 Dec.):  Haldun Ozaktas: Philosophy of Science
  - Included in the exam
  
   

Links

• Documents from previous years
• Guide to ethical writing
• Media resources suggested by MoveOn
• "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel and the lyrics and the history behind it.

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