Recent scientific estimates suggest that half of the cells in the human body aren?t even human! They come from the communities of tiny organisms that live within us. These communities of microbes are known as the microbiome. What do these ?invisible? communities do? How do we study the invisible in the first place? In this class we will explore what a microbiome is, what influences microbial communities, and how microbiomes have shaped life on earth. From soil to plants to human skin, our environment is filled with unseen microbial ecosystems.

Recent scientific estimates suggest that half of the cells in the human body aren?t even human! They come from the communities of tiny organisms that live within us. These communities of microbes are known as the microbiome. What do these ?invisible? communities do? How do we study the invisible in the first place? In this class we will explore what a microbiome is, what influences microbial communities, and how microbiomes have shaped life on earth. From soil to plants to human skin, our environment is filled with unseen microbial ecosystems.

Metagrobology is the study of puzzles, including rare and beautifully crafted wooden artifacts requiring potentially hundreds of moves to unlock, mass produced and much loved (or despised) Rubik's cubes, crosswords, logic puzzles, and puzzle hunts combining all of the above. Are you an avid puzzler, or someone who avoids them at all costs? Either way you will find plenty of puzzles to appreciate and even more ways to appreciate them.

Metagrobology is the study of puzzles, including rare and beautifully crafted wooden artifacts requiring potentially hundreds of moves to unlock, mass produced and much loved (or despised) Rubik's cubes, crosswords, logic puzzles, and puzzle hunts combining all of the above. Are you an avid puzzler, or someone who avoids them at all costs? Either way you will find plenty of puzzles to appreciate and even more ways to appreciate them.

There is vast misinformation amongst the general public on health recommendations. Students will learn how to scientifically interpret pop science articles, where to find data informed recommendations, and how to communicate this information. Students will come away from this course with the tools to decipher accurate health information and disseminate this information to the general public. Topics include: common myths including those involving physical activity, sports performance, sleep, and nutrition.

This 1-credit, experience-based course focuses on learning and engaging with contemplative practices including meditation, mindful movement, and writing, and how they impact personal well being as well as public health. Expect to participate in class fully, connect with yourself and your peers, read and journal.

This course will introduce the human microbiome and show how an understanding of the dynamics and function of the indigenous microbiota has altered our view of microbes in maintaining homeostasis and causing disease. It will discuss how disruption of the beneficial functions of the microbiota can lead to disease. Methods for studying the microbiota will be introduced as part of a conceptual framework for using these methods to delineate novel roles for microbes in health. Key associations between specific changes in the microbiome and disease will be discussed.

We have all heard of greenhouse gas emissions and its scary big brother: climate change. How are scientists combating this problem and moving towards a cleaner, greener future? In this seminar, we will investigate innovative technologies that use energy from renewable sources. From buses that run on water, to energy harvesting sidewalks, we will explore the function, feasibility, and limitations of renewable energy solutions.

This course serves as a rigorous introduction to quantitative empirical research methods, designed for doctoral students in social science and master?s students with a data analytics or computational social science focus. The material covered will include a brief introduction to the problem of causality, followed by modules on (1) measurement, (2) prediction, (3) exploratory data analysis (discovery), (4) probability (including distributions of random variables), and (5) uncertainty (including estimation theory, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, power).

This course introduces students to the basic language of behavioral research, with an emphasis on designing valid social science research. An emphasis is placed on measurement reliability and validity, internal research design validity, and generalizability, or external research design validity.