Coordinator and examiner: Mr Nicolas Wanlin, Humanities & Social Sciences Department

nicolas.wanlin@polytechnique.edu

 

 

Visit of

 

- Musée de l'Homme 

- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle: the Grand Gallery of Evolution

with accompanying forms to be completed during the visits to gather the information necessary for the assignment.

Assessment

After having visited the Musée de l'Homme and the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, you are required to write a paper (between 800 and 1200 words) in English based on what you learnt during your visit.

 

 

Papers will be assessed on:

* The originality and precision of your point of view;

* Your understanding of the scientific and philosophical issues explored throughout the visits;

* The clarity and relevance of your argument.

Due date: Monday, February 11th, 10 PM.

This course is not open to International Exchange program students

(HSS 201)seeks to enhance students’ understanding of science and its relationship to social concerns throughout history. The course will offer both thematic and chronological approaches to the evolution of science in various societies from the antiquity to modern times. Historical periods covered include: ancient civilizations (e.g. Greece, Egypt, India, Babylon, China, etc.), the Renaissance, 17th century scientific revolution, the Enlightenment, the 19th/20th/21st centuries

This course introduces students to foun-dational concepts in the philosophy of science. It asks the question of the rela-tionship of philosophy to science and technology throughout history, examines some examples of encounters between science and philosophy with an emphasis on their social and political context and encourages students to exercise their own judgement on contemporary issues in philosophy of science

 

This course is not open to International Exchange program students

Politics of the Ecological Mutation shall be divided into three main "chapters".

 

The first chapter will be a synthetic presentation of the ecological mutation and the events that led to it (scientific evidence on climate change, biodiversity extinction and resources; nature of the change we are facing; socioeconomic inequalities; climate as an old question; a long list of warnings from the 19th to the 20th century; the great acceleration of the 1970s; the age of the Anthropocene; critical perspective on collapsologie and survivalism). 

 

Next, we will develop a deeper understanding of this mutation through the study of seven different issues (the search for happiness; facts, beliefs and truth; democratic crisis; wars and conflicts: cities: catastrophes and disasters; science and knowledge).

 

Finally, we will change to a perspective on the cultural dimension of the ecological mutation, in literature, movies and arts.

 

Through this course, students will gain a better understanding of the ecological mutation and why it is so specific, acquire knowledge of a few key concepts that they can use as tools to reinforce their “critical mind” and improve their ability to argue and express themselves.

This course is not open to International Exchange program students

Understanding the emerging initiatives and theories in architecture and urbanism helps support a sustainable and desirable habitability of territories, by giving attention to their dynamic agencies. We introduce strategies and perspectives in architecture and urban planning to understand their transformation, their modes of installation and aesthetics. We’ll explore urban stratifications, interrelations, infrastructure and mobility networks, urban recycling, the place of nature in the city, local and frugal design thinking. We'll understand what sustainability really is in architecture and urban practice through critique, theory, and the actions and thoughts of major figures promoting this attitude.

 

This course is not open to International Exchange program students

This course is a practical introduction to intellectual property law, information and technology law, designed especially for engineers and business people.It is a global approach, which helps students creating a new and strategic way of thinking when building or working on tech projects, by using law as a tool. This course also gives students a better understanding of the legal implications of technology law and of the future challenges they will have to face while working in the tech industry.

This course will provide tools to analyse every genre of movie. More precisely, four aspects will be addressed : story, staging, frame and montage. The purpose will be to be able to find and defend ideas, without forgetting the emotions experienced.  

This course is not open to International Exchange program students

Have social media changed our societies for the better? Or have they worsened already existing social problems (or created new ones)? This course offers a sociological perspective on the role of online platforms in our political landscape and invites students to question the role of digital technologies in relation to traditional media outlets in our democracies. It will cover issues such as mis- and disinformation, "filter bubbles", online harassment, and the role of private companies in our public sphere.