Hpsc2101 (1 Viewer)

[flashyGoldFish]

Anyone done this? What do they make of it?

 

[someth1ng]

I had someone in my HPSC2100 that has done it and it seemed like it was better than HPSC2100 - and the assessment schedule is much simpler.

 

[flashyGoldFish]

Wait so did you do HPSC2101 or HPSC2100. Your post is confusing (but thanks)
I enjoyed HPSC2100 and the weird assessment structure. Im more concerned about a 3000 word essay

 

[Blue Suede]

lol. HPSC2101 is great because it's a crash course in the main philosophies of science and if you can write essays, it's pretty easy to get a good mark (you can even choose your own topics). Sit around talking about why science doesn't actually do what everyone thinks it does. Can be a bit dry because it's almost pure philosophy. Based off the book 'What is this thing called science?' so maybe have a look at that first.

Copied the above from the Chatter Thread.


Honestly, this unit changed my life. Not even kidding. It's the reason I changed degrees and added HPS as a major and am currently doing Honours in HPS, with an intention to do postgrad study in a HPS-related area.

If you haven't done many artsy-based subjects before, or are unfamiliar with philosophy, you will likely struggle a little, but if you put in the work, it will be fine. It is a lot of work though. Several readings each week, and most people don't bother to do them which is a waste of both your, and your tutor's, time. So do them. And life will be much easier because you will understand the lectures. Try to avoid being in a tute where people don't talk by taking the advanced version (more likely to get like-minded people who are prepared to hold actual discussions).

The lecturer, Dominic Murphy, is a wonderful individual, and very approachable, but is also a loud/dominating American character who can come across as intimidating. The tutes tend to be taken by Dominic, or one of the grad students who are (almost) all seriously fantastic and super-knowledgeable. Ask them stuff and they will blow you away. Get them talking about their research and you'll easily waste an entire tute (don't do this because you will need to know your stuff for assessments).

The good thing about the assessments is that they're essays (making the huge assumption not much has changed in the last couple of years). HPS is a fabulous department because they encourage individualism and are happy for you to choose your own essay topics. This is great because you can effectively just spend the semester researching what you want to look at, and you don't have to write an essay on something you don't understand.

Because it's pretty much straight philosophy all the time, it can be a bit dry, but then you learn how to apply this grand philosophical ideas to science and spend the next month wandering around going 'Damn, science, what's up with you?????' Guaranteed to increase your analytical thinking skills, especially if you spend a lot of time in the lab.

I'd say have a quick flick through the Liam Chalmers book first (approx $20 or cheaper at SRC bookshop) because the entire course was developed around that book and it will give you an indication of whether you'd be down for it or not.

 

[flashyGoldFish]

Yeah Im not an artsy person at all. I did HPSC2100 and enjoyed it but I really liked Ofer.How challenging are the essays? Especially as someone who isnt the greatest at essays (without knowing my final mark for my last hpsc2100 mini essay the first two were by far my weakest component). Yeah the assessment is 2x1500 words and 1x3000 words.
I think I was the only person to attend and have at least attempted the readings each week.
Thanks though for such good feedback

 

[Blue Suede]

In a way, you get to choose how challenging the essays are by having the option of picking your own topic.

When I did it, I was on a bit of a feminist rampage, so for my essay on demarcation criterion, I took a case study in the biological sciences and looked at how gender influenced science, which came under the theory ladenness of observation and why we needed a proper demarcation criterion.

If you found Ofer's subject interesting, I'd say just go for it and you have 2 weeks to change if needed.

Bonus: You can have interesting HPS discussions with me!

 

[flashyGoldFish]

So there isnt set essay topics? Or how does it work?

I follow few words in that second paragraph haha.

 

[Blue Suede]

Again, assuming it's still run the same as when I did it, they give a couple of different essay topics for each essay, but if you don't like any of them, you can choose your own so long as it's within the scope of the course.

Demarcation criterion are one of my favourite things (what separates science from non-science). I guarantee this course will blow your mind and show you that science isn't all it's cracked up to be (spoiler alert: you never do figure out what this thing called science is).



I'm actually getting really excited about the possibility of you taking this course. It's like watching a kid read harry potter for the first time I WISH I COULD GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME. (no pressure)

 

[flashyGoldFish]

Ooh that sounds fascinating. As someone who is fairly fond of science and scientific thought it could definitely expand my mind a bit.

So is there enough done in class to have a solid foundation for the essays or do you have to make it up as you go. Ofer fell a bit behind this semester so two of the essays we were writing essays on questions where we hadnt gotten to in class so had bit of a poor base.

Funny how excited you are. Probably not the time to mention my dislike of harry potter (never got past book 3)

 

[Blue Suede]

Dominic is far better organised than Ofer. And he goes on far less tangents, so you're pretty safe with being up to date with everything. If you were particularly keen, I could lend you my copy of 'What is this thing called science?' over the break and you can have a look through?

 

[flashyGoldFish]

I personally found Ofer's rants and tangents hilarious. But yeah helps to write an essay on what youre actually covering.

Thanks mate for the offer but im sure itll be inconvenient for both of us.

I found this online: http://www.milenaivanova.co.uk/files/theme/wittcs.pdf
Looks like someone else took it last year but according to the internet Dominic takes it this year: https://ssa.usyd.edu.au/ssa/handboo...ex=155298&session=2&academic_year=2014&back=1
Does that outline look pretty similar to waht you did?

 

[Blue Suede]

The main textbook is the same. The readings are half the same, so some of the course reader would be different.

Most topics look the same. I am actually THE BIGGEST FAN of Thomas Kuhn. Seriously. My blog is basically named after him.

Demarcation is the bomb-diggity. It's about how you tell the difference between science and non-science. I like Popper, but he has issues which you'll learn about. After the two weeks on demarcation, you'll be able to actually reason with people as to why astrology isn't science and what pseudo-science is and why that's an issue.

Induction is interesting and might make you think about maths in a different way but I didn't care much for it.

THEORY LADENNESS OF OBSERVATION IS MY LIFE. Seriously thinking of just coming and crashing that class if I can. It's so good. Read a couple of papers giving examples of when it has happened and you will never think of science as some great universal truth ever again (and then you'll get to the feminist weeks eventually and BAM SO MUCH THEORY LADENNESS)

Ravens paradox was something I found really frustrating but KUHN ALL THE KUHN ALWAYS KUHN IS MY HOME BOY.

Social construction brings in a little bit of sociology and that's interesting, I guess, but it's far better in the third year course.

Can't remember Hempel and the Laws of Nature so no comment on that.

Scientific Realism is also good, great way to end semester, but personally it's not something I'm very invested in.

 

[Blue Suede]

Also, I work at uni 4 days a week, so it's really not inconvenient for me to lend you my books, but if you're weird about the meeting people off the internet thing, that's totally fine.

 

[flashyGoldFish]

Having a little wiki read on some of these things, some sound interesting some sound boring but it does seem like a subject that could be an interesting mind expanding filler. My main concern is still the essays though. 1500 words is fine (although i struggled to get to the 750 words in HPSC2100, but this looks like a much more in depth course) but 3000 words does scare me. (im a science student haha). Ive gotten the comment on essays a fair bit recently that go something like 'lots of great points and research but its a bit unclear and you dont take your points far enough.' so while the essays could be good practise it also might also be out of my depth. Im trying to get the best of every world in this spot by somehow getting an interesting subject thats easy to do well in and preferably no final. HPSC2100 definitely ticks box 1 and 3.

And yeah thanks for the offer again and Im sure theres nothing wrong with you but yeah meetings off the internet do feel weird.

 

[Blue Suede]

Should I point out that in the syllabus you have an entire lecture on how to write essays? And the university has a bunch of resources to help you with your essay writing like your tutors (if you get it done early, you can send them a draft and get feedback most of the time), the Learning Centre (which has an essay drop-in space every day and you can get a staff member to read over your essay and give you feedback) and the online HPS essay writing guide courtesy of Hans.

And yeah, not offended at all. If you change your mind, I'm happy to tell you where I work and you're welcome to walk past and make sure I'm not that weird (I've actually worked a bunch of different positions at the uni including at the coffee carts/o-week/funch/newsagency/etc so it's likely you've seen me around before)

 

[flashyGoldFish]

Oh thanks for that. Are they essays that can be done a fair bit in advanced or are they closely related to the course work closer to when its due? Good to know that the tutors are willing to help in that way. And Ive never heard of that about the learning centre. Should check that out and get more info.

You've done a pretty good job at selling this subject to me. Definitely my preferred one at the moment. Will research a bit more to be sure and see on the timetabling unit how it fits into other subjects. If I take it and dont do well in my essays its your fault

 

[Blue Suede]

http://sydney.edu.au/stuserv/learning_centre/

 

[Amleops]

I'll probably be doing this unit as well.

Are the lectures recorded? One of the three lectures conflicts with a tutorial of mine.

 

[flashyGoldFish]

Yeah thats a good question. I may have a clash as well

 

[Blue Suede]

idk. They'll tell you during the first class.