As forms of cultural and political expression, satire and comedy are important tools for exposing uncomfortable truths about powerful individuals and institutions that might otherwise seem untouchable. Explore the ethics of humor in order to examine the role satire and comedy have played in American cultural and political debates via newspaper cartoons, TV shows, and stand-up routines. Consider the ethical implications of producing and consuming satire as well as the role context plays in how it’s received by others.

IBM founder Thomas J. Watson once said, “Business is a game—the greatest game in the world if you know how to play it.” In today’s global economy and the international political arena, the study of games and strategy continues to be a vital field for historians, economists, and politicians to explore. In this course, you will learn the principles of probability, statistics, and combinatorics, and how to apply them while making strategic decisions based on an opponent’s actions and reactions.

Why are some things easier to remember than others? Why do people have vastly different memories of the same event? Why do most people remember Darth Vader saying, “Luke, I am your father,” when what he really says is, “No, I am your father”? Delve into these questions and more through an investigation into the fascinating world of memory.

How can an abandoned car, devoid of license plates, help detectives solve a jewel heist? How can a single strand of hair keep a man from going to jail? In this course, you will uncover the answers to these types of questions while learning the science behind forensic investigation. After reviewing the scientific skills of observation and deduction, you’ll learn techniques forensic scientists use to analyze hair, fibers, fingerprints, impressions, and documents while processing a crime scene.

The Human Genome Project has sequenced all of the approximately 20,000 genes in human DNA. How did scientists gather this information? Can it help cure congenital diseases or cancer? What ethical questions does it present? In this course, we’ll explore the intersection of biology, genetics, and technology and its impact on society. We’ll review fundamental principles of cell biology and genetics, including mitosis, meiosis, and Mendelian inheritance, get to know the structure and function of DNA and RNA, and sources and types of mutations.

In this course, you will follow the young protagonists of three novels as they use their wits, courage, and brains to complete elaborate missions. You will summarize, make inferences, determine characters’ motivations, evaluate arguments, provide textual evidence to support your opinions, discuss themes virtually with your peers, and complete other projects and writing assignments. You’ll take on different points of view and use sophisticated vocabulary words and literary devices while crafting your own unique tales of intrigue.

Ancient Egypt fell over 2,000 years ago, yet the world is still fascinated by its stories. In this course, you will examine the history of this great civilization, its myths, and several pieces of modern literature inspired by its spellbinding memory. You'll read rich and complex literature, including writing by Egyptian Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz, and popular fiction that illustrates Egypt’s hold on our collective imagination. Along the way, you will learn to examine multiple sources and evaluate their credibility while engaging in discussion forums with your peers.

This course introduces students to three major areas of the computer science discipline: theory and algorithms, hardware systems, and software systems. In the theoretical component of the course, you and your classmates will learn about algorithms, Boolean algebra, binary mathematics, and theory of computation. While studying hardware systems, you’ll become familiar with the physical components of computers, digital logic, computer architecture, and computer networks.

Objection, your Honor! Overruled! Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt! These are the phrases that lawyers and judges battle with in our favorite courtroom dramas. They speak to the argumentation at the heart of the adversarial American justice system in which two sides advocate their positions before an impartial judge and jury. How does one win in court? What goes into a strong legal argument? What are the rules and procedural context in which one attempts to secure a favorable verdict? Is it always logic that wins the day?

How much are you willing to pay for ice cream on a hot summer day? Who is responsible for the cost of pollution? Is there such a thing as a perfectly competitive market? Microeconomics provides insights into these questions as it examines how individual buyers and sellers make decisions about allocating limited resources. This course analyzes microeconomic theory and considers it in the context of today’s economic climate. You’ll begin by studying the fundamental concepts of supply and demand curves, price elasticities, market structure, public goods, and externalities.