79-357 Science and the Body

6 units, Carnegie Mellon University

The human body has been always an object of fascination. Across time and space, people have wondered what lurks beneath the skin, why we get sick or remain well, and how to explain human variation. The methods used to investigate these questions have, however, varied widely. In this course, we will explore that diversity from the dissection of medieval corpses to 19th century phrenology to contemporary biohacking examining how different communities have sought to study, control, and change their bodies over the past several hundred years. In doing so, we will focus on how these scientific efforts were shaped by the political, cultural, and economic values of their times. We will also pay attention to the profound and often ongoing effects of these experiments, particularly on the people who served both willingly and unwillingly as their human subjects.

Prerequisites: none listed

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