Every other Friday, CHSS students meet for an informal seminar, the Seminar on Important Things, from noon to 1:30. Although attendance for those beyond the second year is not required, the seminar remains an active forum for all CHSS and interested students. The seminar provides an opportunity to explore areas of research outside a student’s particular field. The texts discussed each quarter are chosen by the students, and the seminar itself is facilitated by several faculty members and post-doctoral fellows, who participate on an equal footing. Recent topics have included the works of Pierre Duhem, Francis Bacon, Michel Foucault, and have ranged over areas concerning the social construction of science and the interactions of science, literature, and art. The discussions occur at noon and a free lunch is provided (which demonstrates to our Economics Department that such is possible).
Please refer to the SOIT website for more information on the current readings and discussions.