In this class we willread the book "The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail ? But Some Don?t?" by Nate Silver, who is well known for predicting political elections and sports outcomes with great accuracy. The book explains how careful use of data can lead to better predictions in many areas, including many areas of everyday life. The only requirements for the class are attendance and participation in class discussions.

Despite many advances in the diagnoses and treatment of mental illness, those afflicted with mental illness remain one of the most highly stigmatized groups in society. In fact, the stigma associated with mental disorders is oftentimes as harmful as (or more harmful than) the symptoms of the actual disorders themselves. In this seminar we will examine the stigma of mental illness for individuals, children, and families.

The phenomenon of human trafficking has gained widespread attention over the past decade . At its heart, human trafficking is about exploitation of people who are unable to refuse or to leave a situation, whether they have been transported across borders or are exploited within their own country. Exploitation comes in many forms and in many industries?sex, factories, fishing, domestic labor, begging to name a few?and affects men, women and children alike.

How is progress in artificial intelligence affecting society? Artificial intelligence (AI) is fueling the development of autonomous systems that have already changed the way space exploration is conducted and is beginning to transform everyday life with a range of household products. Such systems offer transformational impact on society as they help reduce human labor and risks, while improving productivity and efficiency. Meanwhile, some scientists such as Stephen Hawking warn that thinking machines pose a threat to our very existence.

Orbiting satellites provide the unique vantage point of space for studying the Earth. Measurements made from satellites provide better long--?term weather prediction, quantitative assessments of the changing climate, and measures of
Earth?s gravity field sensitive enough to detect changes in water distribution as a function of the seasons. This course will explore how satellites are used by
the world?s nations for studying the Earth from space.

The seminar focuses on the ways in which music reflects issues and trends in contemporary American society. More specifically, by examining repertoire from a variety of genres, ranging from classical to rap, the seminar investigates how the making and consumption of music in contemporary America relates to questions of race, gender, politics, economics, and technology. By taking the seminar, students will develop an appreciation of the multifaceted role that music plays in contemporary society and therefore in their own lives.

This 1-credit seminar focuses on the novel by the contemporary Massachusetts-born Charles Reis Felix?s, Da Gama, Cary Grant, and the Election of 1934 (2005). The course will briefly survey the history of Portuguese immigration to Massachusetts, and the development of Portuguese immigrant and ethnic literature in the last thirty years, with emphasis on the ethnic novel.

Imagine you are a diplomat stationed in Moscow, Russia. The Putin regime has just arrested one of the most important public figures in the country. What do you do? Or, you are posted to Beijing, China, where massive student demonstrations have just been crushed by the Chinese military. How do you explain what happened to policymakers back home? A Foreign Service Officer must see the world from multiple points of view at once, considering not just politics but also religion and culture, economics and business, history, society, and science and technology.

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