There are complex interactions between science and other subsystems of our society. We hardly notice many of them when everything is running as usual. In exceptional situations, such as during the coronavirus pandemic, we take a closer look: How do virologists come to their findings? How reliable is this knowledge and what conclusions should politicians draw from it for concrete measures? How does social acceptance or rejection of scientific findings and the associated political action come about? In this basic seminar, we too will take a close look at how and under what conditions scientific knowledge is created and how it is received and utilized by the public, politics, and business.

The goal of the basic seminar is, on the one hand, for you to critically examine the role that the sciences and especially your field of study play in our society. On the other hand, the seminar raises some fundamental questions that should accompany students taking the Supplementary Studies on Science, Technology and Society through the in-depth courses.

2 LP

registration required via: https://plus.campus.kit.edu/signmeup/procedures/7004