First Year Seminar 191CNS2 - FYS- Topics in CNS

First-year (R1ST) Course Title: Extracting the Future: Energy and Power in Transition
What drives your everyday life? Your phone, car, or the internet? All of them rely on energy and the extraction of resources like oil and minerals. But these systems don?t just power technology, they shape communities, economies, and the environment. In this seminar, we?ll explore how energy has changed over time, from coal and oil to today?s push for renewable resources and critical minerals. We?ll ask big questions: Who controls energy, and who benefits? Can we meet growing demand without harming people or the planet? And when humanity starts mining asteroids, will we bring our old habits to space? Through real-world case studies and discussion, you?ll examine how energy and resources connect to inequality, labor, and environmental change. You?ll also build skills to help you succeed in your first semester and beyond at UMass Amherst.