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The Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Major is broadly interdisciplinary, combining knowledge from the natural sciences, technology, the humanities, and the social sciences. What draws these disciplines together is the examination of science and technology's reciprocal impacts with society.

An example of an STS area:  gene editing technology called CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful and relatively easy to use new tool for modifying plant or animal genes. Now that we have this powerful tool, what limits should governments place on its use? Considering the possibility of unintended consequences, there seems to be general agreement worldwide that CRISPR/Cas9 should not be used to make genetic changes that can be inherited. But what if some governments decide to allow this use so that their societies gain leadership in developing the technology? Addressing this question requires not only technical background, but also grounding in ethics, policy, and culture. 

STS majors have done senior research projects on a wide variety of technologies, including CRISPR gene editing, personalized medicine, xenotransplantation, in-vitro meat production, vertical farming in urban areas, water desalination in Southern California, and self-driving trucks.

The STS Major prepares students who seek jobs that require a broad perspective on science and technology, and more emphasis on skills in writing and argument than is provided by a traditional science or technology majors.  These jobs include science and technology policy making and law, public interest advocacy, science museum education, and science and technology communication for business.  See Careers page.

AI Ethics and Society Option

AI is another STS area. The program’s broad viewpoint prepares students to address problems raised by AI’s increasingly pervasive influence on society—problems such as algorithmic bias and the question of how to address it; moral and legal responsibility for AI decision making; displacement of a wide range of human jobs from computer coding to truck driving; and the environmental impacts of AI.  Effectively addressing these problems requires skill in negotiating competing values and acute sensitivity to the social and cultural contexts in which AI’s harms and benefits arise.

The demand for broadly educated students to engage with these problems exists now, as AI is quickly developing. STS scholars point out that the benefits of powerful technologies in early stages of development are often immediate and practical, while their harms become apparent over a longer-term. As a result, in AI’s current early stage of development, its benefits tend to overshadow its harms. Students in the Option examine both benefits and harms from a technologically grounded standpoint that is also well versed in ethical, cultural, and policy perspectives. The AI Ethics & Society Option prepares students to participate in shaping the norms, laws, and institutions surrounding AI.  See Careers page.