Cognitive Science 0244 - Privacy in the Internet

Inspired by the Edward Snowden and National Security Agency events of the summer of 2013, this course will examine the ways in which current technology facilitates and even encourages the collection of information on individuals, the ways in which that information can be used, pros and cons of such tendencies, and a variety of techniques to either expand or restrict the sharing and collection of data. The course will both deal with the mathematical foundations of these techniques and its social implications. While students might opt to write programming code or delve into very technical matters as part of the course, this will be only one of several ways to engage with the course, and will not be required. No previous computer experience is required for the course.

Mind, Brain, and Information Independent Work Writing and Research Students should expect to work between five and ten hours a week on this course outside of class meeting times. This will include reading papers, library research, paper writing, watching occasional videos, and preparing class presentations.