Introduction to the History of Science

“Science has made our modern world.” Few people would argue with this statement, but what exactly does it mean? On one common reading, science has simply made the discoveries that have created the conditions of modernity: steam power, electricity, penicillin, atomic bombs and so on. But has science only happened to humanity or is it also the creation of our culture? This series sheds light on this question and on the relationship between science and society. Five central themes are discussed together with the work of key modernizers such as Galileo, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.

The individual lectures
1. The Rise of Modern Science (17 Jan)
2. Science and Religion (24 Jan)
3. Art and Science (7 Feb)
4. Science and Politics (14 Feb)
5. The West and the Rest (21 Feb)