Read and discuss examples of personal essays about science. Think back to early childhood, and write about an idea or object that intrigued you so much that you were compelled to investigate it further. Write about a remembered event in which you made an important discovery. You may use the recall exercise we did as a springboard for this essay, but you don't have to. Draft the essay on your computer, without worrying about the techniques we've studied just yet. Bear them in mind, but don't try to force all of the devices we've studied into one early draft. You'll have a chance to revise this essay later.
Typical readings for this lesson:
Annie Dillard, "Handed my Own Life"
Oliver Sacks, "Uncle Tungsten"
Discuss how the readings focus on the terms scientists use in their field of study. Now, focus on a scientific discipline which has language that resonates with you. Perhaps the words are strange and unfamiliar, or perhaps they are whimsical and evocative. Write an essay on the vocabulary of that discipline -- how it personally affects you and how it is perceived by those inside it and out.
Typical readings for this lesson:
Stephen Jay Gould, "The Old Red Sandstone"
John McPhee, "Naming the Rocks"
Consider Galileo’s metaphor, Russell's "What Einstein Did," and Lightman’s essay, "Metaphor in Science." Write an essay on the way metaphor has increased your understanding of a scientific concept.
Typical readings for this lesson:
Alan Lightman, "Metaphor in Science"
Bertrand Russell, "What Einstein Did"
Write a revision of Essay 1. Use the instructor's comments and the comments of your peers (if your essay was workshopped for Lesson 1). Also write a note explaining which comments you used, which you didn't, and the reasons for your choices.
Typical reading for this lesson:
Samuel Scudder, "In the Laboratory with Agassiz"
Throughout this course, we have examined scientific nonfiction as well as essays that specifically address the relationship between science and literature (or the arts in general). In what ways do science and the arts remain different? In what ways are they similar? What role does discipline play in the scientific imagination, according to Richard Feynman? Consider Weisskopf's essay "Science and the Arts." What is the importance, on a social level, of understanding that science and the arts are both essentially human endeavors?
Typical reading for this lesson:
Victor Weisskopf, "Art and Science"
