What is science? The progressive discovery of Nature's laws? The process of honing claims about the universe? Is science the act of postulating and testing hypotheses? Or is it tinkering, experimentation? This course offers an advanced introduction to cultural and anthropological studies of science. Through careful readings of work in areas such as the sociology of scientific knowledge, actor-network theory, feminist science studies, and affect theory, we will explore the sciences as complex systems of cultural production.

This course examines anthropological theories of inequality and structural violence, using ethnographic examples from the global south with an emphasis on Latin America. Anthropologists have provided insights into the political-economy of 20th century peasant wars, struggles for indigenous autonomy and land rights, the racial politics of migration and refugee resettlement, and feminist and queer movements for gender justice.

An attempt at understanding the Nazi-led assault on Europe's Jews. Course units include an exploration of origins, both German and European; an analysis of the evolving mechanics of genocide (mobile killing squads, death camps, etc.); comparisons (Germany proper vs. Poland, the Holocaust vs. other instances of state-sponsored mass murder); legal dimensions; and an introduction to the politics of Holocaust remembrance since 1945.

This course will examine the intersection between the visual arts and games over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. We will begin by examining theories of play and their relationship to both visual art and game design. We will approach this topic from two directions. First, by looking historically at how the visual arts have represented games and game playing and utilized the mechanics of game play. Second, by asking how games function as works of art, with a focus on electronic games, computers, and new media.

Often in mathematical problems, we can prove that a solution exists, but it is impossible to find that solution analytically (e.g. functions with no antiderivative, but that still have a definite integral). In these situations, we can approximate the mysterious solution using a numerical method. This course covers algorithms and accuracy of numerical methods. Topics include numerical algorithms in Linear Algebra, Curve Fitting, Numerical Differentiation and Integration. Each topic will explore rate and order of convergence as a way of assessing the accuracy of numerical results.

An attempt at understanding the Nazi-led assault on Europe's Jews. Course units include an exploration of origins, both German and European; an analysis of the evolving mechanics of genocide (mobile killing squads, death camps, etc.); comparisons (Germany proper vs. Poland, the Holocaust vs. other instances of state-sponsored mass murder); legal dimensions; and an introduction to the politics of Holocaust remembrance since 1945.

This course examines the Hebrew Bible in light of Jewish reading practices. Students will read significant sections of the Hebrew Bible in translation and learn to read ancient, medieval and modern Jewish approaches to the biblical text. This course seeks to help students become adept at the interpretation of texts and the practice of close reading.

This course examines the Hebrew Bible in light of Jewish reading practices. Students will read significant sections of the Hebrew Bible in translation and learn to read ancient, medieval and modern Jewish approaches to the biblical text. This course seeks to help students become adept at the interpretation of texts and the practice of close reading.

This course examines gender as a key category in Jewish thought and practice. We will examine different theoretical models of gender, concepts of gender in a range of Jewish sources, and feminist Jewish responses to those sources.

This course examines gender as a key category in Jewish thought and practice. We will examine different theoretical models of gender, concepts of gender in a range of Jewish sources, and feminist Jewish responses to those sources.