Courses

ASB 591 (85500) / BIO 591 (85392) / HON 494 (85519)
POS 591 (85819) / SOS 591 (85937)

Fall 2007

Thursday, 1:30pm - 4:30pm

SS 209

Professor: Daniel Sarewitz

Syllabus: Coming Soon
 

Knowledge is always incomplete, yet decisions must be made. This seminar explores uncertainty and its relation to decision making, with a particular focus on the ways that science is applied in order to improve decisions. We will explore the many meanings and origins of uncertainty, using theoretical and case-based approaches. A central theme will be the relation among uncertainty, scientific prediction, and decision making, especially in politically charged issues, for example as related to management of the environment. Ultimately, we will want to understand how effective decisions can be made in the face of inevitable uncertainties.