First-Year Seminar Course DescriptionsLoading...Course registration will open June 1.Course Lookup:Course Lookup:Biotechnology and YouChance/Conjecture; Payoff/"Proof": Probability in History and in PracticeeXtreme Phys10logyFitting Into the Hierarchy: Child and Adolescent Peer RelationshipsHoaxes, Cons, and ScamsHomes, Domes and Yurts: Sustainable, Innovative and Alternative ArchitectureLife Lessons from Japanese CultureLiving in the Nuclear AgeLying with Data and the Myth of the Amoral AlgorithmNip, Tuck, Ink, and Scar: Explorations in Embodied CulturePublic Health’s Most Wanted: America’s Top 5 KillersScience Fact and Science FictionThe CrusadesThe Mindful WorkplaceWe Didn't Start the Fire: Songs About UsWhy Poverty Persists?Will, Wellness, and SuccessBiotechnology and YouBiotechnology is changing how scientists can tackle monumental problems plaguing our society. In this course, you will explore how genetically modified plants and insects are used in agricultural systems and in public health efforts. You will study the history, science, and ethics of these technologies from multiple perspectives. In addition, you will explore how these technologies affect your everyday life and understand how these technologies are developed and regulated. You will use written and oral communication to form evidence-based arguments and share your insights to various audiences.Chance/Conjecture; Payoff/"Proof": Probability in History and in PracticeThere are many admonitions against engaging in 'risky' behavior. On the other hand, it’s not uncommon to hear an encouragement to ‘take a few chances in life’; to ‘try something new’; or even, ‘go to college’. These ‘risks’ tend to be viewed more positively. The related question of how one should best assess risks and then weigh them against the associated benefits and losses has an interesting history. Also with a long history is the matter of ‘degree of belief’ and the relationship this has had with decision-making. Both categories can be uncomfortable to deal with, but they are essentially unavoidable. This course is mainly concerned with studying these ‘dual’ issues. Both historical perspectives and some of the more modern views will be considered. The impact of these ideas on various science and social science disciplines is likely also to be considered.eXtreme Phys10logyThe human body is capable of some very amazing things. People routinely live at 5000 meters, where the partial pressure of oxygen is roughly half what it is at sea level. People can work underwater at depths where the pressure exceeds a hundred atmospheres. We can survive in temperatures well below freezing and can walk across burning embers. This class will explore some of these phenomena and other aspects of environmental physiology through reading the award-winning book “Life at the Extremes” by Frances Ashcroft. In addition, we will learn how physiologists study the body’s functioning by conducting some less than extreme experiments on ourselves. Among other things, we’ll find out how fast nerve potentials move, look into how divers automatically lower their heart rates and learn about what controls the rate at which we breathe during exercise. One very important part of studying physiology, or any field in biology, is the use of quantitative analytical techniques. Using these techniques in our experiments, we will learn about the importance of math in science. After making careful, quantitative measurements we will learn about the necessity of multiple observations and use statistical techniques to determine the significance of our findings. We will be spending significant amounts of time working with our numbers. Over the course of the semester, students will carry out their own investigative physiology projects, using the skills gained in class to design their own experiments and to critically interpret their results. At the same time students will also learn how to locate and use professional journal articles in preparing proposals and full-length reports of their project. By the end of the semester each student will understand how professional scientists learn new information and share it with others.Fitting Into the Hierarchy: Child and Adolescent Peer RelationshipsIn this course, we will consider research and theory in child and adolescent peer relationships, with a particular focus on peer groups (cliques, friendships, etc.), status (power, popularity, etc.), and social behavior (leadership, aggression, etc.). We will also consider the relevance of such things as physical attractiveness, conformity, and athletic activities, as well as the ways that all of these topics are affected by culture, socioeconomic status, and gender. The course will include an introduction to relevant research methods used within the social sciences (particularly psychology and sociology), and readings will include academic books and empirical research articles. Although course content will be focused on research and theory, we will frequently use popular culture and personal experiences as a way of understanding, evaluating, and relating to research.Hoaxes, Cons, and ScamsThe United States has a rich history of grifters, swindlers, and crooks. What can this tell us about the nation’s past – and the nation’s future? Where did these charlatans come from, and what impact did they leave? And how do we make sure that we’re not being fooled now? We’ll look at a variety of examples of deceit and dishonesty, while developing our critical thinking and communication skills, with particular emphasis on writing. Thinking about how we analyze different kinds of evidence, we will consider case studies of con artists, both real and fictional. In doing so, we will discuss how we recognize fraud, how these cheats have shaped our history, and how deception has impacted our understanding of the world around us.Homes, Domes and Yurts: Sustainable, Innovative and Alternative ArchitectureEver think of living in a house made of used tires and aluminum cans? How about a dorm made from shipping containers? With suburban sprawl increasing at epidemic rates, issues of land use and the consumption of resources are colliding with what has become the normal, but unsustainable, tract house dream. Housing as we know it has been represented by neighborhoods with wide driveways and stockade fences. But many people are now questioning this modern view and are searching for alternatives to the easy to build, cheaply crafted, and ultimately disposable homes that many of us live in. There is a growing movement to expand our view of living spaces toward sustainable, green, and innovative architecture. How do these trends affect the way we live now? What about your house? What kind of house is in your future? This class will explore building techniques styles and traditions from around the world and close to our own homes and neighborhoods. In class discussions will focus on the use of diverse building materials, recycled and sustainable products, and the concepts of conservation through the use of design, thoughtful site planning, and the processes of harnessing, reclaiming and conserving resources. We will not only look at current trends but also examine traditional building methods along with diverse ways of defining space and community.Life Lessons from Japanese CultureIn recent decades, the West has often looked to Asia, and Japan in particular, for new models for thinking about human potential, personal contentment and professional productivity. Interest in such cultural models for contented living have spawned a massive industry focused on interpreting Japanese ideas for the Western context. This course examines a variety of social constructs from Japan that people around the world are adopting/adapting in the pursuit of personal happiness, professional satisfaction, and a meaningful life. This collaborative first-year seminar will explore Japanese concepts such as ikigai (life purpose), ichigo ichie (unique human encounters), wabi/sabi (simplicity and nonattachment), go-en (deep connection), and kaizen (continuous improvement). Together, the class will read Every Day a Good Day: Fifteen Lessons I Learned about Happiness from Japanese TeaCulture, a recent memoir by Noriko Morishita.The group will think through what East Asian cultures can reveal to contemporary Americans about mindfulness, our connections to the natural world, and our desire for personal achievement. Application of unfamiliar cultural lens to thinking about how individuals can both design their private lives and optimize their professional prospects will open up conversations around how we can each realize our fullest potential as humane, deeply engaged, and intellectually curious human beings.Living in the Nuclear AgeThe end of World War II was precipitated by the dropping of 2 atomic bombs on Japan by the United States, who developed them with the hopes of defeating the Nazis, who were also rumored to be working on the bomb. This course explores the emergence of nuclear technology and its impact on the world from World War II to present day. We will begin with the Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the bomb. We will continue with an analysis of the arms race during the cold war and the ramifications of nuclear technology after the break of the Soviet Union. We will examine the debates over nuclear technology in the context of energy and natural resources. We will look closely at how different groups, such as scientists, policy makers, and the media contributed to and were affected by the nuclear age. Students will learn through lectures, reading and writing assignments, and active participation in classroom discussions. Each student will conduct an independent project on one application of nuclear technology that will culminate in a class presentation.Lying with Data and the Myth of the Amoral AlgorithmData does not lie. This common refrain has been a retort of journalists, politicians, activists, and pundits alike. But is it really true? In this course, you will discover how data can be subtly manipulated to the writer’s benefit and how to detect deception with data. This course will also examine the false belief that algorithms are inherently fair and unbiased. Please note that this class will have a significant writing component.Nip, Tuck, Ink, and Scar: Explorations in Embodied CultureOur experience encourages us to take much about our bodies for granted. Becoming accustomed to normal operations and appearances, we see the body as a mere backdrop to more obvious social, economic, and political activity. In this writing-focused course, students will examine the many ways human bodies reflect the cultural contexts they inhabit. For example, practices such as foot binding, tooth filing, and scarification reveal as much about other cultures as plastic surgery, bleaching, and prosthesis can teach us about ours. Similarly grounded comparisons can yield insight into race, gender, and disability. Student explorations will highlight the unfamiliarity beneath what we think we understand and an interdisciplinary approach that may challenge that understanding.Public Health’s Most Wanted: America’s Top 5 KillersNearly half of all Americans suffer at the hands of least one of public health’s most wanted diseases. They are responsible for more than two thirds of all deaths in the United States. Heart disease and stroke cost the US health care system around $216 billion a year and cause $147 billion in lost productivity on the job. Moreover, the trends are alarming as they show an overall increase in the number of these diseases. Collectively, this sinister group is referred to as chronic diseases, described by the CDC as debilitating medical or psychiatric conditions that last longer than one year, and require longitudinal management and care. Chief among them are heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. COVID-19, an infectious disease has been recently added to this list. The devastation they exact will only be amplified in a nation with an aging population and medical advances that extend longevity unless lifestyle changes are made with regard to modifiable risk factors such as tobacco use, poor nutrition, and lack of physical activity. In this course, students will learn about the 5 most deadly diseases afflicting Americans. Their public health significance and risk factors contributing to them will be uncovered through presentations by the course instructor and classroom discussions, readings from scientific reports, question development, and group presentations.Science Fact and Science FictionThe objectives of the course are to introduce students to a range of modern scientific topics and evaluate how science is portrayed in popular media including articles, books, podcasts, TV, and film. Students will develop an appreciation for various scientific disciplines and the role of science in society. The course will be organized around the following major topics: Genetics and Medicine, Energy and Environmental Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Physics and Quantum Mechanics. The course will also emphasize the importance of critical thinking and scientific literacy in evaluating claims and making informed decisions in everyday life. Students will read and assess the validity of different sources of evidence, including the primary scientific literature, in class discussions, written assignments and oral presentations. In the process, students will cultivate written, oral, and visual communication skills in preparation for their college career and beyond.The CrusadesBeginning in the late 11th century, the Crusades represented many things to Middle Easterners and Europeans, partly through intensified contacts between the two cultures. This course will revolved around the history of the Crusades: warfare, multi-sided cultural encounter, transfer of knowledge and technology, and more.The Mindful WorkplaceWhat do Bill Gates, Jeff Weiner (CEO of LinkedIn), Dr. James Doty (a neurosurgeon at Stanford University’s School of Medicine), Chirag Patel (CEO of Amneal Pharmaceuticals and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year), Thrive Global’s Arianna Huffington, and Padmasree Warrior (Former Chief Technology and Strategy Officer at Cisco Systems, and named by Forbes as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in the World”) have in common? They all claim that mindfulness is central to their flourishing at work and in their lives. Mindfulness, particularly focused on reflective activities including meditation, is quickly becoming a billion-dollar industry with companies like Google, Aetna, and other industries like the U.S. Army offering mindfulness training to their employees in order to increase work production, innovation, and wellbeing to replace the cut throat, high competitive and bottom line environments so prevalent in the U.S. With rapid burnout and high levels of stress plaguing our 21st century society, different workplaces are seeking alternatives to passive wellness programs, and instead opt for active engagement in mindfulness backed by science for positive and sustainable results. Research in such disciplines as psychology, neuroscience, and medicine provides a wealth of evidence that mindfulness affects attention, cognition, emotions, behavior, physiology, and work performance in positive ways. This research-intensive course is meant to help students understand the Buddhist theories and practices of mindfulness, the secularized mindfulness movement, and applications across a wide variety of workplaces. In this course, students will study the functional domains of mindfulness such as attention, cognition, emotion, behavior, and physiology. Students explore three typical core workplace outcome areas: performance, interpersonal relationships, and well-being, and include creativity/innovation by reading how professionals in different industries have applied “mindfulness” as part of their training or flourishing. Finally, students will analyze mindfulness research in management and corporate culture, medicine and mental health, sports, the military, education, correctional facilities, and other fields in order to produce a final group project on the theme of the mindful workplace.We Didn't Start the Fire: Songs About UsIn 1971, an east-coast singer-songwriter released an 8-minute song that, on first hearing, might have been a catalog of the first ten years of rock and roll. Catchy, popular, but not necessarily the stuff of legend, the myth of Don McLean's "American Pie" grew nonetheless, eventually becoming an almost perfect musical illustration of the collective ethos of the 1960s. Then in 1989, a successful 40 year-old pop icon released his own catalog of American culture. Completely the opposite of McLean's mysterious opus, Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" was a staccato, in-your-face list of over 100 events that insisted we relive all the turbulent emotions that accompanied them and asked we think about how those events shaped our world. What do these songs mean? Who are the characters? What are the events? How do they illustrate the evolution of modern culture after the end of World War II? Through a granular examination of the lyrics, a sampling of other music of the time, and study of the historical events to which the songs refer, this course ultimately asks students to consider where we are today and how we got there.Why Poverty Persists?In this first-year seminar, we will study the lives of people living in extreme poverty. These stories will come from first-hand accounts of the Great Depression as well as fictionalized accounts in novels and film. Alongside this primary source material, we will explore what scholarship has to tell us about causes of poverty, what underlies public opinion towards the poor, and the efforts of policymakers to address its causes and lessen its effects. While the topic may seem rather grim, and I suppose it is, the class will be full of collaboration and the excitement that comes from discovery and being able to see world through many different sets of eyes. In addition to exploring the course topic, and with plenty of good humor, we will spend considerable time discussing the transition to college and strategies for success at AC and beyond.Will, Wellness, and SuccessWhat does it mean to be successful? What does it mean to be well and how does it affect success? How does willpower affect wellness and success? In this course, I invite students to pursue the answers to these questions with me using theories and concepts commonly used in social and behavioral health such as self-determination theory, self-efficacy, and individual and collective agency. We will take a critical look at what it means to be successful in college and beyond at the societal, sub-population, and individual levels. We will examine the separate but related roles of willpower and wellness in being successful. Students will have opportunities to write about their experiences and perspectives on wellness, success, and persevering and compare them to the existing literature and prevailing social and cultural norms.Submit