IDST 150 — Nature and Culture
This interdisciplinary course uses the combined perspectives of sciences such as biology, ecology and economics together with history, philosophy and literature to study how cultures and individuals interact with nature . Through close reading of essays, poems and scientific papers, as well as through students' own field observations and writings on their local environment, this course explores the unde rlying values and ethical judgments involved in making choices on environmental issues that range from the local to global. Topics include basic concepts such as evolution and cell theory and current issues such as animal rights, biotechnology, global warm ing and biodiversity conservation. No college science background is required. Prerequisite(s): ENGL-080 or ENGL-101 and MATH-040 or appropriate placement Corequisite(s): none