Carl Sagan lamented that, "We've arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science and technology. And this combustible mixture of ignorance and power, sooner or later, is going to blow up in our faces.

Without sex, much of the beauty and diversity of nature would not exist. But what IS sex? Different organisms have different answers to that question and a frog might not agree with a human. In this course, we will look at sex through the lens of evolution. We will discuss topics like why a tiny fly makes gigantic sperm, why flowers look and smell the way they do, and why some species have abandoned sex altogether.

We'll explore controversial topics within the food industry such as GMOs, artificial sweeteners, colors and flavorings. Why are certain ingredients used/needed and what are their potential risks? We will also look at perceived risks within the food supply including food-borne illness, toxicology, and industrial contamination. By the end of this seminar, students will be better able to evaluate scientific evidence about food safety.

Population ecology, the foundation upon which broader topics in ecology are built, informs our interpretation of the social and ecological world. In this discussion-based seminar, explore popular (and quirky) examples of population ecology and the stories behind them. We will evaluate case studies in population ecology to better understand invasive species, environmental conservation efforts, our rapid human population growth, and more. Observation, analysis, logic, inference, and curiosity are all central to scientific inquiry.

Everyone has heard the phrase "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus," but have you ever wondered what actually makes men and women different? And are they really as different as most people assume? This course is designed for first-year students interested in the sciences to improve their critical thinking skills by focusing on the science behind sex and gender differences. We will cover a broad range of topics within this field of research, discussing both the biological underpinnings of sex and how society shapes the way we understand gender.

We are inundated by 'scientific' claims on a daily basis, telling us what is good for us and what to avoid: Coffee is good for your heart! But wait, drinking coffee may increase cancer risk! Can we readily believe all the information we are confronted with? How can we separate scientifically sound findings from tabloid claims? In this class, you will learn to critically evaluate 'popular press' findings and engage in discussions about how to be an 'active consumer' of media claims.

What should you do about climate change? Climate change is not just a problem for scientists to understand. It is a problem that we all must grapple with---whether that be through personal stories, historical perspectives, or challenging moral issues. In this class, we will touch on climate science and its history, we will encounter personal stories, and we will debate about ethical issues involving justice and responsibility.

There is a lot of debate surrounding climate change, a topic that is frequently in the news and often presented as either a 'hoax' or as the most important issue facing humanity in the coming decades. In this course we will explore how the Earth's climate has changed in the past on a range of time scales, from centuries to millions of years. The concept of the Earth as a system will be introduced and we will learn how this system has responded in the past to natural changes and how it is likely to respond in the future due to the activities of humans.

Everyone has heard the phrase "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus," but have you ever wondered what actually makes men and women different? And are they really as different as most people assume? This course is designed for first-year students interested in the sciences to improve their critical thinking skills by focusing on the science behind sex and gender differences. We will cover a broad range of topics within this field of research, discussing both the biological underpinnings of sex and how society shapes the way we understand gender.