HUMN 3320 - Genesis of Mathematics and Science

(4 CR, 4T + 0L)

This seminar, taught according to the conversational method, will examine landmark works and ideas from the history of mathematics and the natural sciences. These disciplines represent a dialogue with a rich tradition. Isaac Newton once wrote that, “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” In this class, we will be engaging in conversation with giants from the field of mathematics and the sciences by reading various texts and by asking basic questions that arise from those texts. We will be asking the most basic questions, the kind whose answers are mostly taken for granted in traditional mathematics and sciences classes.

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1120.