From Bombs to Algorithms: Science, Technologies, and Global Insecurity (016IRS)

30 credits, Level 6

Spring teaching

Do scientists have a responsibility for the development of nuclear weapons?
Is the collection of Big Data making us safer or more vulnerable?
How will the development of artificial intelligence affect future war?
What can we learn from the Covid-19 pandemic about misinformation and (in)security?
Is scientific research a political tool?

This module introduces insights from science and technology studies to investigate these entanglements of science, technology, security and war to try to answer some of these questions.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 30 hours of contact time and about 270 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2023/24. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses:

• Geography and International Relations BA
• History and International Relations BA
• International Relations BA
• International Relations and Anthropology BA
• International Relations and Development BA
• International Relations and Sociology BA
• International Relations with a Language BA
• Law with International Relations LLB
• Politics and International Relations BA