2013-14 Undergraduate Index A-Z
Have feedback about the online catalog?
Have ideas about what Evergreen could offer in the future?
Philosophy Of Science [clear]
| Title | Offering | Standing | Credits | Credits | When | F | W | S | Su | Description | Preparatory | Faculty | Days of Week | Multiple Standings | Start Quarters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Richard Weiss and Judith Cushing
|
Program | FR–SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | S 14Spring | Computers are a driving force of our modern world and increasingly influence our lives. Mathematics and mathematical models lay at the foundation of modern computers; furthermore, we increasingly rely on mathematics as a language for understanding the natural world, such as complex climate models that predict major changes in weather patterns world wide over the next 50 years. Mathematics and computational thinking enable people as citizens to make good decisions on a wide range of issues from interpreting the evidence for climate change to understanding the potential impacts of technology; as such, they are an integral part of a liberal arts education. In this program, we will explore connections between mathematics, computer science, the natural sciences and graphic arts.We will develop mathematical abstractions and the skills to express, analyze and solve simple problems in the sciences and the arts and explore how to program interesting visual shapes using simple geometry. Class sessions include seminars, lectures, problem-solving workshops, programming labs, problem sets and seminars with writing assignments. The emphasis will be on fluency in mathematical and statistical thinking and expression along with reflections on mathematics and society. Topics will include concepts of algebra, algorithms, programming and problem solving, with seminar readings about the role of mathematics in education, the sciences and society.This program is intended for students who want to gain a fundamental understanding of mathematics and computing before leaving college or before pursuing further work in the sciences or the arts. | Richard Weiss Judith Cushing | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | |||||
|
Heather Heying
Signature Required:
Winter
|
Program | JR–SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | What do animals do, how do they do it and why? In this two-quarter-long investigation of animal behavior, a continuation of Genes and Evolution in fall quarter, students will answer these questions through extensive use of the scientific literature, in-depth discussions of the evolutionary and ecological theories fundamental to the study of behavior, independent research projects and several weeks in the field, including a multi-week trip to tropical ecosystems in Ecuador.Animals hibernate, forage, mate, form social groups, compete, communicate, care for their young and so much more. They do so with the tools of their physiology, anatomy, and, in some cases, culture, for reasons having to do with their particular ecology and evolutionary history. In this program, we will begin with a review of animal diversity, and continue our studies of behavior from both a theoretical and an empirical perspective. Students will be expected to engage some of the complex and often contradictory scientific predictions and results that have been generated in this field through lectures, workshops and take-home exams, as well as undertake their own, intensive field research. Some topics covered in this program will include mating systems, territoriality, female mate choice, competition, communication, parental care, game theory, plant/animal interactions and convergent evolution. Several readings will focus on one group of animals in particular: the primates, including Continuing the focus on theory and statistics begun in Genes and Evolution, we will travel to Ecuador to study the differences and similarities between the neotropics and the Pacific Northwest, focusing on the animals and their behavior. Particular attention will be paid to the herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) that live in lowland rainforests. In spring quarter, having studied the methods, statistics and literature frequently used in behavioral research, students will generate their own hypotheses and go into the field to test them through extensive, independent field research. This work might be in Ecuador or the Pacific Northwest. Students will return to campus for the last two weeks of spring quarter to complete their data analysis and present their research. | Heather Heying | Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | ||||
|
Michael Paros
|
Program | FR–SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | W 14Winter | Why do humans keep pets and at the same time raise animals for food? What are the psychological and moral complexities that characterize our relationships with animals? What is the impact of human–animal interactions on the health and well-being of people and animals? How do we assess the relative welfare of animals under a variety of circumstances? Anthrozoology is the interdisciplinary study of human (anthro) and animal (zoo) interaction. This topic of inquiry will be used to study general biology, zoology, anthropology and philosophy. Through field trips, guest speakers, reading, writing and discussion, students will become familiar with the multiple and often paradoxical ways we relate to companion animals, animals for sport, zoo animals, wildlife, research animals and food animals. We will use our collective experiences, along with science-based and value-based approaches, to critically examine the ever-changing role of animals in society.We will begin the quarter by focusing on the process of animal domestication in different cultures from an evolutionary and historical perspective. Through the formal study of animal ethics, students will also become familiar with different philosophical positions on the use of animals. Physiology and neuroscience will be used to investigate the physical and mental lives of animals while simultaneously exploring domestic animal behavior. Students will explore the biological basis and psychological aspects of the human-animal bond. Students will then study the science of animal welfare and complete a final project in which they will apply their scientific and ethical knowledge to a controversial and contemporary animal welfare question.Students will be expected to read primary literature in such diverse fields as animal science, ethology, neurobiology, sociobiology, anthropology and philosophy. Student success in this program will depend on commitment to in-depth understanding of complex topics and an ability to combine empirical knowledge and philosophical reflection. | Michael Paros | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | |||||
|
Bill Arney and Michael Paros
|
Program | FR–SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | Most of you are in school because you want to live a better life; many of you probably think about what it might mean to live a good life. Is a good life one full of pleasure and devoid of suffering? A moral life? A long and healthy life? Of course, it is possible that the good life cannot be defined at all and simply has to be lived and attended to. Let's start with the premise that most of our reliable, useful knowledge comes from science. Scientists work according to philosophically sound methodologies, which include commitments to impersonal inquiry and trying, always, to find the data most likely to defeat their favorite hypotheses; they work in open communities of other scientists, all of whom are obligated to be vigilantly critical of their colleagues' work; they generally qualify their claims to knowledge based on the limitations of their methodologies and their understandings of the probabilities of their claims being incorrect. But can science help us to be , to live a good life? Some think that science can help us recognize, even define, our values, and we will explore this possibility from the perspectives of neuroscience, brain evolution, psychology, social science and philosophy. Some say that science can never answer questions of morality or what it means to live a good life, or even a better life; something more is necessary, they say. Reading and written assignments, faculty presentations and deliberate discussions with vigilantly critical colleagues will assist students in an independent inquiry about how science can help a person live better with regard to some question of critical concern to the investigator(s). This program explores the power and limitations of scientific inquiry. Students should be able to imagine themselves discussing neurotransmitters and the moral life in the same sentence, but they should know that any education aims, finally, to help them know themselves. | Bill Arney Michael Paros | Mon Tue Wed Thu | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
|
Brian Walter
Signature Required:
Winter Spring
|
Program | SO–SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | This program is built around intensive study of several fundamental areas of pure mathematics. Covered topics are likely to include abstract algebra, real analysis, set theory, combinatorics and probability.The work in this advanced-level mathematics program is quite likely to differ from students' previous work in mathematics, including calculus, in a number of ways. We will emphasize the careful understanding of the definitions of mathematical terms and the statements and proofs of the theorems that capture the main conceptual landmarks in the areas we study. Hence, the largest portion of our work will involve the reading and writing of rigorous proofs in axiomatic systems. These skills are valuable not only for continued study of mathematics but also in many areas of thought in which arguments are set forth according to strict criteria for logical deduction. Students will gain experience in articulating their evidence for claims and in expressing their ideas with precise and transparent reasoning.In addition to work in core areas of advanced mathematics, we will devote seminar time to looking at our studies in a broader historical, philosophical, and cultural context, working toward answers to critical questions such as: Are mathematical systems discovered or created? Do mathematical objects actually exist? How did the current mode of mathematical thinking come to be developed? What is current mathematical practice? What are the connections between mathematics and culture? What are the connections between mathematics and art? What are the connections between mathematics and literature?This program is designed for students who intend to pursue graduate studies or teach in mathematics and the sciences, as well as for those who want to know more about mathematical thinking. | Brian Walter | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
|
Krishna Chowdary and Neal Nelson
Signature Required:
Spring
|
Program | FR–SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | Scientists gather data, make observations, look for patterns, build models and use those models to predict behavior. Powerful models in physics help us explain interactions involving matter and energy. New models need new mathematical methods—for example, calculus was developed partly to understand models of motion. Even with powerful mathematics, a model may yield answers only in simplified circumstances. We can analyze more complicated physical systems by simulating them on a computer. Learning how to create and apply mathematical and computational methods effectively to models in physics will be one of the major goals of this program.In two quarters we will cover the equivalent of a year of calculus and physics and one quarter of computer programming at the introductory level through interactive lectures, small group workshops, hands-on and computer programming labs, seminars and projects. Students will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning in individual and collaborative contexts, including in-class work, homework, lab write-ups, papers, presentations, projects, quizzes and exams. The work will be intense and invigorating, involving time-intensive engagement with textbooks and problem-solving in a supportive learning community that values the development of theoretical understanding that can be applied to practical problems.Our physics work covers modern mechanics and electric and magnetic interactions, developing macroscopic and microscopic models of matter and interactions using ideas such as conservation laws, Newton’s laws of motion, statistical and thermal physics and Maxwell’s equations for electricity and magnetism. We will study the programming language Python and develop numerical techniques that can be used to calculate and display our physics models. We will study calculus to apply it to physics and other science and social science fields as well as seeing how mathematics exists on its own as a sense-making endeavor.No previous background in computer science or physics is expected. Preparation in mathematics including pre-calculus or intermediate algebra and functions is required. Students who successfully complete the fall program The Physical World of Animals and Plants will be prepared for this program. Students with some previous work in calculus, computer science or physics may see that the intersection deepens their understanding of each. Successful completion of this program will be good preparation for further introductory work in computer science and intermediate or advanced work in mathematics and physics. | Krishna Chowdary Neal Nelson | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | ||||
|
Charles Pailthorp
|
Program | FR–SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | W 14Winter | Some living things are conscious, but not all. Some conscious things are self-aware, but not all. The same applies to our own experience: sometimes we are conscious and sometimes not; sometimes we are self-aware and sometimes not. But when we are conscious and self-aware, are we aware of? Is it just our bodies, or our brains? Is it something non-physical but somehow associated with our bodies and brains. Could it be some combination of the physical and non-physical, of body and mind, or body and soul? Three philosophers explored these questions in the first half of the 17th c., and each vigorously defended the emergent new science of that period. Each argued that Galileo had mapped a path that promised a truly scientific understanding of humankind. Nonetheless, each disagreed fundamentally with the other two. In the first weeks, we will study this dispute between René Descartes, Thomas Hobbes, and Baruch Spinoza. Today many continue the debates of Descartes, Hobbes and Spinoza. In the second half of the quarter, we will study contemporary writings by philosophers, neuroscientists, psychologists and journalists such as John Searle, Antonio Damasio, Bruce Hood, and Brian Christian. What does the new science of today reveal, or change, about our sense of self?Familiar and challenging questions surround this work: “Will brain science replace psychology in our understanding of human nature?”; “Will machines surpass humans in all cognitive activities?”; “Could our conscious, self-aware lives extend beyond death?”; “Is our sense of self a mirage, if not an hallucination?”; “Is our sense of free choice illusory?”All students will be expected to read challenging texts, discuss them openly in seminar, and write short, critical essays aimed at deeper understanding of the texts and questions we address together. In addition, more advanced students will be expected to complete a longer essay. | Charles Pailthorp | Mon Tue Thu | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | ||||
|
Krishna Chowdary, Sheryl Shulman and James Neitzel
|
Program | FR–SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | In this program, we will explore a fascinating intersection of biology, mathematics and physics. Our program title and central questions are inspired by Vogel’s . How do the laws of physics constrain the form, function, growth, motion and interactions of plants and animals? How do organisms take advantage of material and physical opportunities? What mathematical models can we develop by examining the biological and physical worlds, and how can those models help us to explain and predict behavior in those worlds? This program welcomes students new to studying science at the college level and those looking for science as part of their broad general liberal arts education. This program is also intended to prepare students for further introductory study of science in programs such as Introduction to Natural Science and Models of Motion, Matter and Interaction, with particular attention to developing foundational skills in quantitative and scientific reasoning and an emphasis on modeling physical and biological situations. This program also welcomes students with a background in biology or physics, allowing them to apply, extend and integrate these areas, and exposing them to material not typically covered in separate treatments of biology and physics.We will work to create a supportive and collaborative learning environment through interactive lectures, seminars, hands-on workshops and labs and field trips. Students will have the opportunity to improve their capacities as quantitatively and scientifically literate citizens, including work on their ability to read scientific texts, solve theoretical and applied problems, work in lab, interpret and create graphs, work collaboratively and communicate creatively and effectively. Students will develop and demonstrate their learning through in-class and homework assignments, short papers, quizzes and presentations. | Krishna Chowdary Sheryl Shulman James Neitzel | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||||
|
Donald Morisato and Bob Haft
Signature Required:
Spring
|
Program | FR–SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | Both science and art take things apart. In some instances—the evisceration of a frog or an overly analytical critique of a poem—the process can result in the loss of the vital force. In the best scenario, carefully isolating and understanding individual parts actually reconstitutes the original object of study, bringing appreciation for a whole greater than its parts. Sometimes taking things apart results in a paradigm shift: suddenly, the ordinary becomes extraordinary.In one program strand, we use a biologist's tool kit to explore how living organisms function. We learn how biology takes apart and studies life in different ways. In winter, we focus on visual perception, beginning with anatomy, proceeding onto the logic of visual processing, and concluding with an examination of the specialized neurons and molecules involved in phototransduction. In spring quarter, we play with the idea of mutation, exploring how genetics is used to dissect complex processes and provide an entry point for the molecular understanding of inheritance at the level of DNA.Another strand takes visual art as its point of departure. Here, we combine what we learn about the anatomy and physiology of the eye with a study of using sight to apprehend and appreciate the world around us. We will work with different tools—charcoal pencils and cameras—both to take apart and to construct new things. During winter quarter, we will learn the basics of drawing. In spring, we use black-and-white photography to study life at a more macroscopic level than in the biology lab. Ultimately, our goal here is the same as that of the scientist: to reconstitute and reanimate the world around us.There are ideas for which literature provides a more sophisticated and satisfying approach than either science or the visual arts. Thus, in a third strand, we examine how literature depicts and dissects the emotional and behavioral interactions that we call "love." Authors we read will include Shakespeare, Stendhal, Henry James, Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, John Berger, Haruki Murakami and Louise Gluck.Our goal is to weave these strands together to produce an understanding about the world informed by both cognition and intuition. Throughout our inquiry, we will be investigating the philosophical issue of objectivity. This is a rigorous program involving lectures, workshops, seminars, studio art and laboratory science work. Student learning will be assessed by weekly seminar writing assignments, lab reports, art portfolios and exams. | Donald Morisato Bob Haft | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter |