In this course we will examine the interrelation of science and social progress. As we will see, legal and governing systems are inextricably linked to scientific progress, and science is a catalyst for social change. Profit and fortune seeking is a common denominator to both. We will examine cases of this relation in a wide range of time and places: from Mesopotamia to Silicon Valley. It is hoped that this survey of ideas and events will serve the students as a springboard for thought and action when in college and later in their working lives.