Popular coverage of science ranges in depth and accuracy, and many scientists do not see the importance of communicating their work, or their excitement, to the general public. Scientific breakthroughs contribute to everyone's quality of life, but the process is poorly understood by many, leading to misunderstandings and misgivings that can affect public policy.

The art and mechanics of persuading a polity to support either war or peace through oral argument. How speeches frame issues, mobilize public opinion, and persuade individuals to support or resist decisions to go to war. Students will be expected to deliver speeches, lead discussions, and critique their own and others' presentations.

This course examines topics within the physical, mental, psychological and social dimensions of wellness. Current research and trends in health and wellness are emphasized and students will be encouraged to apply this knowledge in practical ways for healthful living. While this course is not activity based, a few classes will involve physical activity to promote wellness.

This course will examine representations of figures not considered human, focusing on the nonhuman animal, with attention to the monster and the machine. We will analyze the verbal and visual techniques with which these figures are depicted, the social and political concerns they address, and the tenuous boundary between human and nonhuman. Authors, filmmakers, and critics may include Bierce, Cronenberg, Dunbar, Kafka, London, Martel, Moore, Poe, Ritvo, Scott, Wells, and Sewell.

Maps are essential tools for understanding the world around us. But do our maps show us the world as it is, or do they allow us to choose the world we will see? Texts for the course may include poetry by Elizabeth Bishop, Thomas Hardy and others; short fiction by Borges, Faulkner and others, and visual art from the College Art Museum. This class may be especially suitable for students who do not identify as native speakers of English.

Maps are essential tools for understanding the world around us. But do our maps show us the world as it is, or do they allow us to choose the world we will see? Texts for the course may include poetry by Elizabeth Bishop, Thomas Hardy and others; short fiction by Borges, Faulkner and others, and visual art from the College Art Museum. This class may be especially suitable for students who do not identify as native speakers of English.

This course examines the various ways the multicultural family in contemporary American, British, European, and South African culture is imagined by writers and filmmakers. Issues to be explored include: generational conflict, the struggle to 'break away,' and the claims of memory and nostalgia. Above all, the course seeks to explore the range of cultural forms in which these themes find expression.

A study of writing by and about physicians, patients, and the communities and cultures that shape their stories. Readings will be drawn from fiction, nonfiction, drama, and autobiography by Anatole Broyard, Willa Cather, Margaret Edson, Atul Gawande, Jhumpa Lahiri, Doris Lessing, Ian McEwan, and William Carlos Williams.

Exploration of Mars is an ongoing effort that has greatly expanded our knowledge of the Red Planet and changed our vision of its surface. We will examine the history of the investigation and exploration of Mars. We will also plan future observations from orbiting spacecraft, engage with scientists involved in current missions, and imagine the best ways to explore Mars in upcoming decades. Developing physical intuition and analytical skills in astronomy, geology, physics and other sciences will be emphasized, as well as speaking and writing ability.

Drawing on archival records and other documents, including Dickinson's letters and poems, students in this seminar will explore what Dickinson's year at Mary Lyon's Mount Holyoke might have meant to her as student and poet. We will also examine Lyon's vision of women's education, as well as contrasting visions of education in 'Old New England' from such writers and thinkers as Emerson, Thoreau, and Stowe.