Summer 2006 Courses
SUMMER 2006 V55.0202 Natural Science I: The Cosmos and the Earth
Summer Session I: May 15 - June 23, 2006
Prof. Adler (MAP) syllabus
Modern scientific findings relating to major questions about the universe and our place in it. What is the origin of the universe? How did the elements form? Where do stars and planets come from? How did life on Earth originate? How did intelligence develop and human beings come to exist? Are we alone in the cosmos? Topics include the big bang theory of the creation of the universe and the formation of elements during stellar evolution; the constituents of the universe, from the large-scale realm of the galaxies to exotic objects such as neutron stars and black holes; the evolution of life and intelligence in the context of the sometimes catastrophic geologic history of our planet; and the possibilities for intelligent life in the cosmos.
Note: The prerequisite for all Natural Science I courses is completion of or exemption from Quantitative Reasoning, or completion of an approved substitute course.
SUMMER 2006 V55.0312 Natural Science II: Earth, Life and Time
Summer Session II: June 26 - August 4, 2006
Prof. Adler (MAP) syllabus
Over the last four billion years, life on Earth has evolved in response to changes in the environment. At the same time, major innovations in the history of life have led to transformations of the Earth's physical environment. We examine the history of the intimate relationship between the Earth's changing environment and the evolution of life on the planet. This long-term historical perspective provides a context for understanding current environmental issues such as global warming, tropical deforestation, and loss of biodiversity.
Note: The prerequisite for all Natural Science II courses is completion of or exemption from Quantitative Reasoning, or completion of an approved substitute course. The completion of Natural Science I is recommended prior to taking Natural Science II.
SUMMER 2006 V55.0510 World Cultures: Russia Between East and West
Summer Session I: May 15 - June 23, 2006
Prof. Borenstein (Russian & Slavic Studies) syllabus
What is Russia? What does it mean to be "Russian"? These questions have troubled Russians for centuries. Certainly, most nations engage in such soul-searching at one time or another; but Russia, thanks to special historical circumstances, has been obsessed with the problem of its own identity. Central to this concern is an issue that would appear to be more geographical than cultural: Is Russia a part of Europe (the West), or of Asia (the East)? Or, is it some hybrid that must find its own unique destiny? As we trace the development of this problem throughout Russia's history, we also become acquainted with the major characteristics and achievements of Russian culture, from its very beginnings to the present day.
SUMMER 2006 V55.0515 World Cultures: Latin America
Summer Session I: May 15 - June 23, 2006
Prof. Abercrombie (Anthropology) syllabus
Explores the wonderful, magical, sometimes nightmarish world of Latin America through the past and present doings of its persons, and their representations, religious manifestations, song, dance, and literature. Aims both to uncover the roots of Latin-Americanness in the historical confluence of Europe, Africa, and America, and to discover how those roots are continually remade as each generation strives to rise from the ashes of its forebears. Case studies include the samba schools and Candomble religion in Brazilian carnival, the role of Vodou in the Haitian revolution and in New York City, the Mexican burlesques of death in the Day of the Dead, and "Indian" saints whose processions are associated with rites to underworld beings as well as to national integration. At base, the course seeks to answer more fundamental questions: What does it mean to have an identity, Latin American or Gringo, White, Black, Indian, or Mixed? How are the collectivities called nations, ethnicities, races, and classes brought into being and sustained? How is the vanished past resuscitated to serve the needs of the present? What does it mean to be Latin American in the age of so-called globalization?
SUMMER 2006 V55.0710 Expressive Culture: Words
Summer Session II: June 26 - August 4, 2006
Prof. Borenstein (Russian & Slavic Studies) syllabus
What is literature or the literary? Is there a literary language that works differently from ordinary language? What is literary style and form? What does it mean to tell a story, and how is it different from telling a lie? Paying particular attention to questions of manipulation and emotion, we examine the status of fiction and representation through short stories, novels, and graphic novels by a range of authors, including Dostoevsky, Coetzee, Brautigan, Moore, Lethem, and Babel.