Faculty First Year Seminars 197MATH1 - Lead exposure and crime rates:

This seminar will examine the question of whether environmental exposure to lead adds to the baseline crime rate, and whether the reduction in crime in U.S. cities during the last 20 years is due in any way to the elimination of lead additives in gasoline and restrictions on lead in house paint. The course will emphasize the scientific method of inquiry, delve into techniques of statistical inference, address the distinction between correlation and causation, and survey the larger question of the causes of crime. Students will participate in researching and presenting the historical and scientific underpinnings of the question, along with the latest research. There are no prerequisites, and the statistical material will be focus on how to prove causation. That is, this will not be more of a sociology course than a statistics course. Successful completion of the course will require participation in the presentation of our findings.

Freshmen Only