Want Your Opinion - What Would Be A Good Chemistry Course for Non-Science Majors?

M.D. Holloway · 11-01-2005, 10:20 AM

I have been asked to teach a college chemistry course to non-science majors. I have been granted the opportunity to base it on just about anything I want. I do not want to have some boring physical science class that teaches what an atom is or the temp water boils at. I want something that will be interesting, a little challenging but also relevant.

Please vote on what you think would be a cool course to take it you had the opportunity in college.

vash · vash's Garage

the food one...do you mean what makes food/cooking work? like the malliard effect, how starches react with certian protiens, etc? if so, that would be slick.

all those listed above seem damn cool. but i am freaky like that.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Food or medicinal. I worked up a medicinal half-course but it was for majors. It could be done for non-majors, but you'd have to teach teach them a bit of organic chemistry. Very doable...I swear that I can teach people enough organic to predict the majority of reactions in a pretty short amount of time.

For food, this is a classic:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684843285/102-1848067-9412130?v=glance&n=283155&v=glance

arcsine · 11-01-2005, 10:43 AM

As a biochemist I think everyone should know a little about how we work but either the food or product chemistry would be better accepted.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

The food one is interesting to me. But a good one would be how to "de-science" the ingredient labels on different foods.

M.D. Holloway · 11-01-2005, 02:05 PM

That would be interesting and they would be surprised at how many of those "chemicals" actually come from other food stuffs or minerals.

BlueSkyJaunte · 11-01-2005, 02:09 PM

As a first-week freshman I got to sit in on a seminar called "Explosions and other joys of chemistry." Everything from making a McDonald's shake to thermite.

This was followed by a semester of Engineering Chem, often known as the Engineering weed-out course.

arcsine · 11-01-2005, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LubeMaster77
That would be interesting and they would be surprised at how many of those "chemicals" actually come from other food stuffs or minerals.

This part always kills me. Folks that get wound up about "chemicals" in their food. Especially in the case of something like "Liquid Smoke". What do they think BBQ smoke contains? Magic eliquir?

Point to ANYTHING that we can see, touch, smell or perceive that is not a chemical or a chemical reaction.

Disallowing gravity and love of course

campbellcj · 11-01-2005, 09:33 PM

I vote for the food! Even though Alton Brown is an ultra-geek, I always thought it was very cool how he both explained what was happening during the prep/cooking process and simultaneously came up with practical and (mostly) good-tasting recipes.

One potential problem, though, is that your typical college kid is not into cooking nor can afford the time/money on such activities.

Evans, Marv · 11-01-2005, 09:55 PM

I think the Product Chemistry would be great for non science majors. It would raise the awareness about these sorts of things. In fact, I don't know why schools don't offer courses like these. I got a science degree, and I learned more about what makes the world, universe and everyday things tick from chemistry and physics than anything else I took.