Fictions of Science: Time Travel in Physics and Film, in Real Life and in Literature

This is a reading, writing, and discussion-based class about the relationship of science and fiction. It is meant for STEM students and for Humanities students alike. Focusing on close readings of popular film, novels, and scientific papers related to time travel, "Fictions of Science" considers why, despite this extraordinary relationship, we often rely on the most simplistic gizmo - that aforementioned time machine - to serve as an explanatory shortcut. And why we miss the exciting truth: that science and fiction are joined together in incredibly complicated ways, with consequences for design, imagination, and exploration. One of the goals of the class is to trouble the relationship between science and fiction, which is often reductively understood as either antagonistic or ornamental. The class emphasizes close reading, short essay writing, and critical thinking.