How have humans used art--including but not limited to poems, plays, novels, short stories, and films--to explore the potential consequences of new science and technology? Writers, filmmakers, and artists have often used speculative fiction to comment on new knowledge about the natural world and to think about how that knowledge might affect humanity's future. Some works of art express hope that science and technology will improve the human condition; others express anxiety about the consequences of scientific findings and technological developments. This class examines science fiction (broadly defined) in its historical context and considers how specific works both reflected and shaped changing beliefs about science and its role in society. Students will analyze works of fiction alongside scholarly literature about developments in the history of science.