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Hi everyone! My name is Jillian and I am a junior at Bryn Mawr. I am currently pursuing a double-major in Molecular Biology and Italian, which is a combination that most people find surprising and confusing. What initially drew me to this class was the combination of sciences and humanities. Ever since elementary school, most of us have had adults ask us whether we like math and science or english and history better, and I personally never understood why it had to be an either/or choice. Even now, when I tell people about my double-major, they usually tell me that it is an "interesting combination." The idea that someone who enjoys the study of math and sciences cannot possibly enjoy the study of humanities is one that I feel is incredibly prevalent in our society, and also one that is very much misguided. I believe that humanities and sciences are not polar opposites, but rather they are very much intertwined. I hope that in this course, we will explore the actual and perceived relationships between the humanities and sciences, specifically in these ways:

1. Why do people feel that there needs to be a "versus" relationship between humanities and sciences?

2. When and why did the humanities and sciences start to be viewed as incompatible, when they have traditionally been viewed as courses of study that should be pursued together (in the tradition of Aristotle, DaVinci, etc.)?

3. In what ways are sciences and humanities still related today, in spite of their perceived separation?

- Jillian '10