"History and Philosophy of Science studies science just as science studies the world. From global warming to gene technologies, from cyber-relationships, to religion and politics, science and technology mediate change and help us understand the world and our place in it. HPS brings together teaching and research in the history of science and medicine, the philosophy of science, the social studies of science and technology, Social Theory and Computer Applications. HPS seeks to bridge the two cultures of the sciences and the humanities. And with science and technology's central place in modern life, we need to think about scientific knowledge and its applications in a systematic, critical way. While most of us are not professionally trained to manipulate scientific knowledge independently, we can acquire a form of scientific and technological literacy that enables us to understand 'where the science is coming from' and what it means for us and our needs."