Science and Global Conflict

4 Credits.

This course explores the central role that science and scientists play in the most important global conflicts of our time. We'll study the nuclear science of the Cold War era and how Cold War science continues to shape today’s global conflicts — the war in Ukraine, first and foremost. We'll look at how scientific ingenuity led to global warming and ecological destruction and also at how science can bring about policy solutions that resolve conflicts between competing nations. We’ll look at how new technologies, such as drones and cyberwarfare operations, have changed how wars are fought and the dangerous implications of these new weapons.At every step of the way, as in all Science Writing courses, we’ll approach these topics through the lens of the science writer. We’ll explore the many different ways journalists can write about global conflicts and meet with war correspondents who have covered wars on the front lines. Perhaps most important of all, as we learn how to cover global conflicts, we’ll also learn how to tell human stories, from the harrowing accounts of soldiers suffering from PTSD, to the struggles of families living in war zones.Poland, situated precariously between East and West, is an ideal setting for this residency. Krakow is less than a thousand kilometers from the Ukrainian border, and the city still bears the scars of the Soviet era. But Krakow has also emerged as a modern Western city, a home to leading scientific institutes (Jagiellonian University, Krakow University of Technology) and centers for international diplomacy (Centre for International Studies and Development). Students in the residency will visit these institutes and meet with their leading figures. Polish journalists, in turn, will visit our classrooms to discuss how they cover science and global politics.