About

The Salon is a campus-wide book and film discussion group that explores ethical questions that emerge from developments in science and technology. We select one book at the beginning of each academic term as a community read, and we purchase copies for any interested undergraduate or graduate student. We host a series of events throughout the term to discuss the book, explore the context of its writing, and make connections to current developments in science, technology, and policy. Previous selections include The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksThe Most Wanted Man in Chinaand Exhalation. You can find all of the books and films that the Salon has explored on our bookshelf.

We place a strong focus on books that relate to the ethical and societal impacts of emerging technologies, and we often couple our discussions with film screenings or guest speakers to complement the themes of the book. Previous guests of the Salon include scholars such as David Staley, Perry Link, and Dana Howard; authors, such as Tom Wheeler  and Deji Bryce Olukotun; and thought leaders such as Gregory Kulacki and Joey Eschrich.

We hope to see you at our next event. Learn how you can participate in the conversation, or drop us a note at battellecenter@osu.edu.

Salon members discuss Philip Ball’s book “Serving the Reich: The Struggle for the Soul of Physics Under Hitler” with guest speaker Gregory Kulacki of the Union of Concerned Scientists.