Faculty

4.00
What does it take to survive a life-threatening situation? When faced with forces greater than ourselves, is the instinct to stay alive a reflex over which we have little or no control? This course explores the theme of survival as a gateway to understanding the complex nature of the human body and mind. Whether stranded in the high Andes, cast adrift at sea, or imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, human beings possess an extraordinary capacity for self-preservation. What happens to the body and mind under such conditions? How do survivors perceive and deal with their predicament? In this course, we combine powerful narratives of survival with scientific methods of inquiry to discover why some people overcome dire circumstances and others perish. We integrate evolutionary biology, medicine, anthropology, and psychology to address such questions as: Are there rules to survival? What patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior promote survival? Does technology give us a false sense of safety? Do ancient instincts rooted in evolutionary biology help -- or perhaps hinder -- survival in the modern world? Can survival strategies transcend individual contexts and apply to global challenges facing the human species?

4.00
This course helps students develop knowledge and understanding of the major role that science plays in their lives and the role they can play in interpreting and applying scientific information. Science is viewed as both a process and as content, involving issues such as proof, fact, effects of observation, theories, laws, and similar concepts. Connections among science, technology, and the arts and the humanities will be viewed as an integrated means for society to function. The course includes analysis of case studies, readings, problem solving exercises, and exercises in developing critical thinking skills.