Popular novels and films play a crucial role in shaping public understandings of science and its practitioners. Artistic artefacts of diverse origins negotiate what constitutes “good” and “bad” science in different ways. To this day, enduring stereotypes such as the “mad scientist” remain influential—a figure that originated in early nineteenth-century England. With Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), Mary Shelley created the prototype of the obsessive and reckless researcher who conducts forbidden experiments in a secret laboratory, thereby transgressing ethical boundaries. This male-coded stereotype has since been complemented by others, such as the noble, adventurous, or clumsy scientist. Only recently, however, has scholarly attention begun to focus more systematically on representations of female scientists. This seminar will, on the one hand, explore selected historical formations of knowledge in relation to literature from antiquity to the present. On the other hand, it will examine the production and persistence of stereotypes across various media formats, such as novels and film, with particular attention to the role of gender. The overarching aim of the seminar is to develop an understanding of science as a cultural practice. Prerequisites: Shelley, Mary: Frankenstein. New York: Norton, 2012. Please purchase this edition only.