# HISTSCI 1861: From Steam Engines to Silicon Valley: Science and Capitalism in History Semester: Spring | Year offered: 2026 | Link: [Course Website](https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/160280) This undergraduate lecture course examines the interrelated histories of science and capitalism, from the steam engine to Silicon Valley. The course begins with the dramatic and intertwined transformations of the “scientific revolution,” the transition to capitalism, and the global “great divergence,” and continues to the present day. Topics covered include global science and empire; energy, work, and fossil capitalism; the technics of the industrial revolution; the science of racial capitalism; the rise of corporate science and R&D; techniques of quantification and economic calculation; biotechnology and pharmaceuticals; and the origins of “Big Tech.” Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30-2:45 PM with Lecturer Dr. Simon Torracinta --- [### Simon J. Torracinta ](/people/simon-torracinta) Lecturer on the History of Science Areas of research: human sciences, science & technology studies, political economy, modern European & US history Simon Torracinta is a lecturer in the History of Science Department. He received his PhD in History of Science and Medicine from Yale, and was... ![Torracinta](/sites/g/files/omnuum9516/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/hos/files/torracinta_01.jpg?itok=tkeyDVhW)