Cascade! Winter 2012
Course Catalog

Science is considered to be a way to directly observe “truths” about the universe, but is the scientific method really an effective way to gain knowledge? What is the difference between a “law” of nature and a “theory” of nature? In this class, we will examine different ideas from philosophers such as Plato and see how they apply to our modern notion of science. We will consider fundamental pillars of scientific reasoning like empirical observation and induction, in order to understand their capability but most importantly their limitations. We know that there are many fundamental questions that science has yet to answer. The important question is, “Can science ever provide these answers?” No prior knowledge of philosophy required, just a strong curiosity.


Prerequisites
Some experience in high school level science. (i.e. Physics, Biology, Chemistry, etc.)

We all want to change the world—but how? Every generation brings with it its own revolutions, and whether they are social, political, cultural, or technological, some are more lasting than others. If we are going to create meaningful change in our world, we must begin by looking back on the revolutions that created the very foundations we want to change today. In the modern age of the Occupy Movement and the Arab Spring, young revolutionaries must study the great revolutions of the past, from the French Revolution of the 18th century to the Russian and Iranian Revolutions of the 20th, to understand the causes, conduct, and consequences of revolutionary movements and apply those conclusions to understand and impact the revolutionary movements of our modern world.

Have you ever seen a Chinese character? Have you wondered how those funny squiggles could possibly make up an ancient and complex language? Is it even possible to understand or learn a language so different from our own? Totally!! In fact, Chinese is one of the fastest-growing languages to study in the U.S. today! Come along as we explore all about what makes it so fascinating! We’ll take a look at Mandarin characters and they way they’ve changed and developed, tones in spoken Chinese, and explore calligraphy, ancient Chinese poetry, and more. We’ll even try writing in Chinese! Along the way, we’ll talk about how the language structures of Chinese are different from the ones that we know in English, and how these affect the way we use language in our everyday lives. No previous knowledge of Chinese at all required!

Have you ever wanted to invest your money, and end up with more? This course will introduce the basics of investing, beginning with standard types of bank accounts and interest rates. The second part of the course will consist of an introduction to the stock market, including the basics of what a share of stock is, why companies issue stock, how and why people trade stock, and how people who do this as a job judge a company’s stock’s value. Believe it or not, you can become an owner of McDonald’s, Ford, or Apple – for a much lower price than you may think. Beginning in Week 2, you will participate in a virtual stock market game, with you forming groups of 2-4 making up a team that has its own account online and invests the money as they choose, trying to end up with the most money by the end of the course.

Why do we watch horror movies—about vampires, aliens, and ghosts—when they scare us half to death? Where do our favorite scary movies come from? These are some of the main questions we will be discussing in this course. To answer these questions, we will look at a range of modern gothic movies, while also bringing in some of the classic short stories that inspired them. Some of the movies include Blair Witch Project, The Sixth Sense, Alien,and Videodrome. Get ready to be scared—and to talk about why!

What is social media? Who uses it? How do we use it? Why do we use it? Who cares that we use it? Who controls it? Who profits from it? These are just a few of the many questions we'll ask and answer in Social Media: The Beginning... We'll examine the comparison between Social (New) Media and traditional media and how quickly news travels. We'll probe Facebook and the sort of "branding and promoting power" we engage in for others to see and share. How does this sharing and promoting power influence our behavior? We'll also ask the question, Who are we producing social media for? Who consumes what we produce? Is posting and picture sharing for those that matter or don't really mind? Students will also have the opportunity to debate the pros and cons of social media through a series of mini-debates over the five-week course.

The fluctuation of stock prices, the motion of gas particles, the path taken by a foraging animal, what do these things have in common? They're all random processes: processes whose outcome is unpredictable. The examples above involve sequences of random events that evolve over time, which we call Markov chains. Markov chains are a simple and useful class of random processes. In this class, we will define and study examples of Markov chains, and develop tools to explore their many interesting properties. More generally, this class will demonstrate, through the example of Markov chains, how applied mathematics distills the essence of real-life problems into mathematical models, and how mathematical machinery can be used to play around with these models. Prerequisites: none.

Capoeira is more than just a martial art. It is a system that not only teaches a person how to fight, but also passes along traditional African beliefs, music, dances and ideas. Some of you may have heard of capoeira, or seen it on commercials, or on YouTube, or in a park, but do you ever wonder why it’s around everywhere? Capoeira has been discriminated against and even outlawed for much of its existence, so why is it becoming so popular now? Why does it matter? In this class we will explore the roots of capoeira and its evolution. This will be used as a springboard to analyze the role of African culture in an increasingly interconnected and globalized modern world. We will examine the societal and technological changes that allowed for this trend. You will come out of this course with insights into the importance of culture and cultural blending, the implications of globalization as well as knowledge of the basic movements and concepts of capoeira.

Existing at the heart of all debates on religion are the most profound and moving questions on the subjects of nature and humanity: "Does God exist?", "What is the meaning of Life?", "How should I live?", "Does objective morality exist?", etc. Every thoughtful person regularly poses these questions to themselves, but the answers are not as readily available. In order to grapple with this controversial topic, we will explore these questions from the theoretical perspective of Atheism. We will proceed by critically examining a wide selection of texts from non-religious writers and philosophers (such as Lucretius, Hume, and Spinoza) alongside works from key theologians and apologists (such as Anselm, Aquinas, and C.S. Lewis). In addition, Professor Jerry Coyne will present a guest lecture on the topic of Science and its relation to Religion. Students from all philosophical/religious propensities are invited to attend the course.


Prerequisites
None

Have you ever felt restrained by art class in high school? Left with the feeling of just wanting to put pen to paper, hands to work, or actions on film? Despair no more. In this course, students will make dynamic, instinctive pieces of art under loose oversight of two co-teachers over a fast-paced, rapidly evolving 5 weeks. Students will be taught the basics of certain art mediums such as collage and video art, and will be heavily encouraged to bring their own expertise into the fold for others in the classroom. By the end of this course, every students will have completed a final art project using a medium that they have learned from either a peer or a co-teacher.

Need a little drama in your life? Heighten your speech and acting skills through the world of poetry, prose and drama. This performance based exploration of literature will focus on uncovering the meaning of the written word and examining how the performance of such works may enhance the translation of the text. Students will have an opportunity to examine contemporary works and spoken word by non-mainstream writers as well as well-known authors who have challenged formal structure and presented topics in emotionally impacting and compelling ways, all leading up to polished individual performances during our final meeting. Breathe some life into your words! Both experienced and non-experienced actors welcome!

Psychology helps us answer questions like how babies learn to talk, why your friend may prefer Coca-Cola to Pepsi, and why you cry when you watch sad movies. In other words, psychology is the science behind what you already know, with some surprises along the way.

This class will teach you how humans think and will provide you with ways to re-examine your emotions, assumptions, and behaviors. Along with lectures and discussions, we'll be playing some games and watching some short movies as well.