Batman, Spiderman, the Avengers, the Watchmen, Iron Man…these are just some of the graphic novels that have jumped to the fore in recent pop culture. These novels raise interesting ethical and scientific issues. For example, is Batman’s vigilantism justified? Is it justified to kill in order to prevent nuclear war? Is it hypocritical to manufacture weapons and save innocent lives as Ironman? What is the relationship between ethical obligation, technology and science?

Come explore these questions and others in these two linked courses, PH103: Contemporary Moral Problems and CH101: Chemistry in the Environment and Society. In this Learning Community modeled course, you will learn about basic, college-level chemistry and traditional moral theory through the lens of popular graphic novels.

We will also take advantage of the proximity of Manhattan to explore some of the graphic novel attractions that NYC offers. We plan to visit some of the famous comic book stores in Manhattan and filming locations from some of the most recent movies. The culminating experience for this course will be creating, in small groups, our own digital stories. As a part of this project, students will be taken on a professionally run tour of Manhattan in order to spark ideas for pictures and storylines. Students will also spend supervised time in Manhattan taking pictures in the city to be used in the digital stories.

Dates: July 14 – August 2

Dr. Sarah Donovan, Philosophy

Dr. Nicholas Richardson, Chemistry