The Experimental College
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The Experimental College First Year Students: these Fall 2017 Explorations and Perspectives seminars are open for registration. Each course is designed and taught by Tufts juniors and seniors for a small group of first-year students only. All classes receive full credit and are graded pass-fail. Register on SIS and attend class next week! Questions? [email protected] EXP-0050-A Exercise for Nerds 1.0 credit, Pass/Fail Grading Tuesdays, 6:30-9:00pm 574 Boston Ave., Room 401 The human body, or as we like to call it, the 8th wonder of the world, is a well-oiled machine built for movement. But do you know how and why we move? What is the origin of exercise? We will discuss topics ranging from biology, to mental health, and even history. No matter your experience with exercise, this class will be educational and fun! Peer teachers: Scott Mongold is a senior majoring in Biopsychology and minoring in Latin, and Jacob Garrell is a senior double majoring in Biology and Community Health. EXP-0050-G From Turing to The Truman Show: Pop Culture as an Intro to Classical Philosophy 1.0 credit, Pass/Fail Grading Tuesdays, 6:00-8:30pm Miner Hall, Room 110 In 2016, WestWorld was one of the most popular TV shows on the planet, and the seventh most mentioned TV show across the internet. In fact, there’s a fairly high chance that you, reading this right now, have watched it. But have you also read Alan Turing’s seminal 1950 essay “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” upon which all the images of artificial intelligence in WestWorld are based? You’ve probably seen that new Jungle Book flick, but have you considered how it reflects and contrasts Hobbes’s view of man in the state of nature? This class will take a closer look at examples of pop culture that serve as modernizations of classical philosophical ideas. Peer teachers: Grace Konstantin is a junior double majoring in Cognitive and Brain Science and English, and Avi Block is a junior double majoring in Cognitive and Brain Science and Computer Science. EXP-0050-J The Art of the “Like”: Social Network Advertising 1.0 credit, Pass/Fail Grading Tuesdays, 6:30-9:00pm Paige Hall 007, Garden Room How has the social media revolution affected us as consumers? We have become creators, discoverers, sharers, likers, and retweeters, and with a new medium comes a new way for brands to communicate with audiences. This course will examine how advertisers take on social networks to target consumers, as well as the ways audiences are simultaneously playing into these marketing tactics through online social platforms. Peer teachers: Alyssa Bourne-Peters and Cristiana Pribus are both seniors majoring in Film and Media Studies. EXP-0050-K Legends like Us: Heroes, Villains, and People in Indian and Chinese Epics 1.0 credit, Pass/Fail Grading Wednesdays, 6:30-9:00pm Check SIS for assigned room What is the value of hearing stories that lie so distant from our own cultural backgrounds and daily lives? This course will explore some of the greatest literature from India and China, as well as its contemporary novel, film, and video game adaptations. We will look into the oldest civilizations in human history, and gain an enriched understanding of the interconnectedness of human narrative. Peer teachers: Christina Lee is a senior double majoring in Japanese and Clinical Psychology, and Priyanka Kuman is a senior majoring in Film and Media Studies. EXP-0050-Q Reporting Live from the Courthouse: When CeleBrity, Media, and the Law Collide 1.0 credit, Pass/Fail Grading Mondays, 6:30-9:00pm Paige Hall 007, Garden Room Throughout our daily lives we are constantly bombarded by newspaper headlines, tabloid gossip, celebrity scandals, and breaking news. We take this all in as both information and entertainment—but how can we really draw the line between the two? This class will analyze various famous legal battles while paying particular attention to the role of different media in the reporting of each case. Peer teachers: John Greenberg is a senior majoring in Political Science, and Emily Steele is a senior double majoring in Engineering Psychology and Environmental Studies. .