(Update: despite the awesomeness of this course, there was so little interest amongst students that we’re putting it on hold … we’ll see what we can do though to do something cool in this space though. Stay tuned!)
This is really exciting — this summer I’ll be teaching an online undergraduate course at ASU with my colleague Anna Muldoon on infectious diseases and movies.
Of course, this is a direct response to COVID. But it also builds on three years of experience using sci-fi movies to explore the relationship between science, technology, society and the future, in ASU’s popular Moviegoer’s Guide To the Future course.
Over the course of six weeks we’ll be using eight films to explore the complex dynamic between infectious diseases and society. The course (a 300 level undergraduate course — and one that meets the ASU Science and Society criteria) is open to online and in-person students (although it’s all taught online). And I believe you can also sign up even if you’re not at ASU as a non degree-seeking student!
I’ve included more information below — including the draft syllabus — but you can find more details, including how to sign up in the ASU Course Catalog by searching for the following courses:
- In person (i) Course: 48131: FIS 394 – The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future (Infectious Diseases)
- Online (o) Course: 48132: FIS 394 – The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future (Infectious Diseases)
(You’ll have to select the course type and Summer 2020, then enter the keyword “Moviegoer’s guide” — and yes, I know it’s a pain, but there seems to be no way of linking to the specific course pages!)
Syllabus
You can download/view the current draft syllabus here: Draft Syllabus
Movies We’ll be Watching
OUTBREAK (1995)
“You know, fear gets a bad rap, Salt. I don’t want anybody working with me who isn’t scared. Okay?” — Sam Daniels
93 DAYS (2016)
“Infectious diseases bring interesting people together in interesting places” — Dr. David Brett-Major
WORLD WAR Z (2013)
“Most people don’t believe something can happen until it already has. That’s not stupidity or weakness, that’s just human nature.” — Jurgen Warmbrunn
CONTAGION (2011)
“The average person touches their face 2- or 3000 times a day. Three to five times every waking minute. In between, we’re touching doorknobs, water fountains, elevator buttons and each other. Those things become fomites.” — Dr. Erin Mears
THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (1971)
“The defense system is perfect, Mark. It’ll even bury our mistakes!” — Dr. Jeremy Stone
INFERNO (2016)
“It took the Earth’s population 100,000 years to reach a billion people. And then just 100 more to reach two billion.” — Bertrand Zobrist
OMEGA MAN (1971)
“Definition of a scientist: a man who understood nothing, until there was nothing left to understand” — Matthias
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS (2016)
“I just want to live, everyone wants that.” — Melanie
