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HST701 Scientific Technology in Modern Society W2020 FINAL EXAM. Format of exam: take home, open book. You may use ONLY course related materials for this test (materials through D2L, lectures, your notes) and no outside sources. You must work on this test on your own—no collaborating. When complete, submit your test to the Turnitin link on D2L in Assignments by the deadline—NO EXCEPTIONS. Failure to submit by 12 noon on Tuesday April 21 will result in an immediate loss of one full letter grade (-10%), followed by a loss of 10% for every subsequent hour late. If, for some reason, you are unable to submit by the deadline for medical or other reasons that might be considered on compassionate grounds, you must first let me know, and then you must contact your program coordinator to file an appeal with relevant documentation. Compose your answers in essay format. Grades will be based on content more than style— that said, these answers should be considerably more polished than an in-class written exam! Good answers will demonstrate thorough knowledge and analysis of relevant course material. As best as possible, try to provide your answers in your own words, as if you were processing information for an in-class written test. Be very careful about cutting and pasting text—you will submit this to Turnitin, and instances of plagiarism will need to be handled by the Academic Integrity Office. If you do use quotes or paraphrase information from a specific source, you need to provide a basic citation. For the purposes of this test, all you need to do is a short in-text parenthetical reference with author last name and page number, or title of video. Because you are only drawing on course materials, I will know the reference. You do not need to include a separate bibliography. You will notice that Questions 1 and 2 are broader in nature and ask you to select examples from the course for support, while Question 3 is a somewhat more focused question. Depending on your choices for 1 and 2, there may be some overlap—for example, computers / computing could be included for either one. However, the focus of each question is different, and you should not merely repeat yourself in such a case. Length guidelines: Lengths naturally will vary according to writing style and concision. Two to three single spaced pages (1200-1800 words) per question should be sufficient. Do not exceed 2400 words (four single spaced pages) on any single answer. Choose two (2) only of the following questions. Each question worth 50%. 1. An early course reading by Thomas Hughes opens with the following claim: “Usually we mistakenly associate modern technology not with systems but with such objects as the electric light, radio and television, the airplane, the automobile, the computer, and nuclear missiles. To associate modern technology solely with individual machines and devices is to overlook deeper currents of modern technology that gathered strength and direction...after Thomas Edison established his invention factory at Menlo Park” (Course reading 1.4, Hughes, “The System Must Be First,” p. 184; emphases added). Explain what you think Hughes means by this statement by examining in some detail three examples drawn from the course. At least two of your examples must come from the material covered since the midterm. 2. Recall Paul Ceruzzi’s characterization of the history of computing up to 1985 (the date of publication of his original article) as an “unforeseen revolution” (reading is in Seminar 4 folder). We have seen repeatedly in this course examples of science and technology that developed or were adopted in ways strikingly different from what initial “pioneers” foresaw. Choose three examples from the course to illustrate this theme of unintended or unforeseen outcomes (at least two examples must come from the material we covered since the midterm, and computing can certainly be one of them). In concluding your essay, briefly make a case for why modern-day policy makers and the news media should be more sensitive in acknowledging unforeseen aspects of science and technology. 3. Discuss how the development of nuclear weapons and synthetic chemical pesticides such as DDT in the 1940s-50s led to major developments in ecological science and an awareness of human impacts on the environment. Your essay should discuss the work of key figures involved in shaping these responses, especially Rachel Carson. Carson was particularly focused on the over-use of DDT, but what do you think was her larger message? Do you think she was justified in taking the tone she did in her writings? Why or why not? 1