Course introduction: Difference between revisions
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This is a university course on the ideas from science that are most widely useful for everyone. Many insights and conceptual tools from scientific thinking are of great utility for all kinds of reasoning, from reading the news critically to making decisions under conditions of uncertainty. The focus in this course is on the errors humans tend to make, and the approaches scientific methodology has developed (and continues to develop) to minimize those errors. The course includes a discussion of the nature of science, what makes science such an effective way of knowing, how both non-scientific thinking and scientific thinking can go awry, and how we can reason more clearly and successfully as individuals, as members of groups, and as citizens of a democracy. | Thanks to the accelerating technology and cultural change of the information age, we find ourselves at a crossroads in human history. The decisions that we collectively make as a society in the next few years will have enormous ramifications for centuries to come, with potential for both unprecedented flourishing and unprecedented catastrophe. This class draws on a vital source for discovery and decision-making that is often underutilized—the practices and techniques that scientists have been developing for centuries and use every day. These practices constitute a way of thinking with widespread utility for everyone, informing judgment and decisions across a wide range of contexts. This course brings these elements together for the first time and welcomes students of every discipline to develop these skills in the context of real decisions at the personal and societal scales. | ||
Many insights and conceptual tools from scientific thinking are of great utility for all kinds of reasoning, from reading the news critically to making decisions under conditions of uncertainty. The focus in this course is on the errors humans tend to make, and the approaches scientific methodology has developed (and continues to develop) to minimize those errors. The course includes a discussion of the nature of science, what makes science such an effective way of knowing, how both non-scientific and scientific thinking can go awry, and how we can reason more clearly and successfully as individuals, as members of groups, and as citizens of democracy. | |||
We explore these themes experientially, often with in-class activities and discussions, culminating in two open-ended projects to design better methods of deliberation and decision making, first as groups, and then as individuals. Co-taught at UC Berkeley by faculty from Physics, Philosophy, and the social sciences, SSS fosters intellectual advancement for interdisciplinary knowledge seekers. | |||
<!-- This is a university course on the ideas from science that are most widely useful for everyone. Many insights and conceptual tools from scientific thinking are of great utility for all kinds of reasoning, from reading the news critically to making decisions under conditions of uncertainty. The focus in this course is on the errors humans tend to make, and the approaches scientific methodology has developed (and continues to develop) to minimize those errors. The course includes a discussion of the nature of science, what makes science such an effective way of knowing, how both non-scientific thinking and scientific thinking can go awry, and how we can reason more clearly and successfully as individuals, as members of groups, and as citizens of a democracy. | |||
Every day we make decisions that can and should be informed by science. We make decisions as individuals, as voters, and as members of our various communities. We make decisions as students and parents and policy makers. The problem is, we don't do it so well—a fact sadly apparent in political debates. It's easy to blame poor decision-making on the greed, irresponsibility, ignorance, or incompetence of other people. But the problem seems to be more basic than that. It seems we face a paradox. Living in a democracy means that everyone should get a say. But to make decisions informed by science, we often need to defer to those with relevant expertise. Therefore, we shouldn't rely on a democratic system to make the best decisions. Or should we? This basic tension between expertise and democracy serves as a unifying theme for SSS, a course that aims to equip students with basic tools to be better thinkers. We will explore key aspects of scientific thinking that everyone should know, especially the many ways that we humans tend to fool ourselves, and how to avoid them—including how to differentiate signal from noise, evaluate causal claims, and avoid reasoning biases. We'll then look at the best models for using science to guide decisions, since the rational and arational (e.g., values, fears, and goals) then have to be combined. We will explore these themes experientially, often with in-class activities and discussions, and we will culminate in two open-ended projects to design better methods of deliberation and decision making, first as groups, and then as individuals. Co-taught by faculty from Physics, Philosophy, and the social sciences, SSS fosters intellectual advancement for interdisciplinary knowledge seekers. | Every day we make decisions that can and should be informed by science. We make decisions as individuals, as voters, and as members of our various communities. We make decisions as students and parents and policy makers. The problem is, we don't do it so well—a fact sadly apparent in political debates. It's easy to blame poor decision-making on the greed, irresponsibility, ignorance, or incompetence of other people. But the problem seems to be more basic than that. It seems we face a paradox. Living in a democracy means that everyone should get a say. But to make decisions informed by science, we often need to defer to those with relevant expertise. Therefore, we shouldn't rely on a democratic system to make the best decisions. Or should we? This basic tension between expertise and democracy serves as a unifying theme for SSS, a course that aims to equip students with basic tools to be better thinkers. We will explore key aspects of scientific thinking that everyone should know, especially the many ways that we humans tend to fool ourselves, and how to avoid them—including how to differentiate signal from noise, evaluate causal claims, and avoid reasoning biases. We'll then look at the best models for using science to guide decisions, since the rational and arational (e.g., values, fears, and goals) then have to be combined. We will explore these themes experientially, often with in-class activities and discussions, and we will culminate in two open-ended projects to design better methods of deliberation and decision making, first as groups, and then as individuals. Co-taught by faculty from Physics, Philosophy, and the social sciences, SSS fosters intellectual advancement for interdisciplinary knowledge seekers. | ||
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* Since 2017 more than a thousand (1142) students have completed the course at UC Berkeley. | * Since 2017 more than a thousand (1142) students have completed the course at UC Berkeley. | ||
* It's also been taught at Harvard and UC Irvine. Will soon be taught at UChicago. | * It's also been taught at Harvard and UC Irvine. Will soon be taught at UChicago. | ||
* More than 100 instructors. (Double check for precise number.) | * More than 100 instructors. (Double check for precise number.) --> | ||
{{NavCard|first=true|prev=Main Page|next=Concept groupings}} | {{NavCard|first=true|prev=Main Page|next=Concept groupings}} | ||
[[Category:Introduction]] | [[Category:Introduction]] | ||
Revision as of 15:52, 24 August 2023
Thanks to the accelerating technology and cultural change of the information age, we find ourselves at a crossroads in human history. The decisions that we collectively make as a society in the next few years will have enormous ramifications for centuries to come, with potential for both unprecedented flourishing and unprecedented catastrophe. This class draws on a vital source for discovery and decision-making that is often underutilized—the practices and techniques that scientists have been developing for centuries and use every day. These practices constitute a way of thinking with widespread utility for everyone, informing judgment and decisions across a wide range of contexts. This course brings these elements together for the first time and welcomes students of every discipline to develop these skills in the context of real decisions at the personal and societal scales.
Many insights and conceptual tools from scientific thinking are of great utility for all kinds of reasoning, from reading the news critically to making decisions under conditions of uncertainty. The focus in this course is on the errors humans tend to make, and the approaches scientific methodology has developed (and continues to develop) to minimize those errors. The course includes a discussion of the nature of science, what makes science such an effective way of knowing, how both non-scientific and scientific thinking can go awry, and how we can reason more clearly and successfully as individuals, as members of groups, and as citizens of democracy.
We explore these themes experientially, often with in-class activities and discussions, culminating in two open-ended projects to design better methods of deliberation and decision making, first as groups, and then as individuals. Co-taught at UC Berkeley by faculty from Physics, Philosophy, and the social sciences, SSS fosters intellectual advancement for interdisciplinary knowledge seekers.