Honors Program: A pathway to excellence.

HON 201/401 Science and Literature: Are you human?

Are you human?

How do you know?

These are two of the major questions that science fiction has long tried to answer-what does it really mean to be human? Sure, that seems like an obvious question, but how many times have you used the work illegal alien to mean someone from a different country that didn't belong in your country, but then you were friends with someone from he same country that did belong? What makes your friend not an alien and the illegal person an alien?

This all sounds pretty silly until you start thinking about modified humans-everything from vampires and werewolves to people who can live forever, or people who have been given wings or have been cloned. Are they still people? Are they still entitled to the same rights? Did God create them? And if not, how should they be treated?

This class will look at these questions in depth, but it will also look at how humanity must change under non-earth conditions. What evolution happens because you live on another planet? And what do you turn into? Are you still human? Or do you become something else altogether? We'll also look at some of the science of science fiction and see how likely it is ever to happen. We'll look at movies, short stories and novels and art, do writing projects and creative projects and generally have tons of fun.

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Instructor: Dr. Diana Francis

Substitutions: Possible course substitutions (subject to departmental approval): ENG 163, ENG 441

Time: Fall 2010, Block 2, mornings, Main Hall 209