- The Biology of Human Consciousness
- Crystals
- CSI: Seattle
- Dinosaurs, Mass Extinction and the Fossil Record
- Flight and Space Exploration
- Indistinguishable from Magic: New Technologies, Science Fiction, and Us
- Introduction to Image Processing and Python
- Neurobiology of Perception
- Numbers and Reasons
- Opposites Attract: Creative Thinking in the Sciences and Art
- Secret Codes and Online Security
- Sensory Worlds and Behavior of Animals
- Sustainable Energy Solutions for the 21st Century: Science, Technology, and Policy
- This is Your Brain on Drugs - Literally
- What Animals Can Teach Us About Human Behavior
NUMBERS AND REASONS
We live surrounded by numbers, and so a central part of "college thinking" is to learn how numbers and measurements help us think clearly. "Numbers and Reasons" introduces you to how numbers work as part of sound reasoning in science and society. Sometimes they settle arguments: the 1953 article on the double helix, one from 1908 on why to believe in atoms, or one from 1963 on when people obey. In other contexts, like global warming, numbers are just the beginning of serious arguments. Underneath, there are basic rules like making sense of a "bell curve" or how to tell a meaningful pattern from a random one. What the Course Covers
The course is really a broad introduction to college thinking, with many readings followed by discussion about science as a human activity. You will write two short essays and then a term paper on a topic of your choice involving numbers or measurements. No matter what concentration you eventually choose at UW, this material will help you be a better, more thoughtful student.
Who Should Attend?
Students don't need a background in advanced mathematics, just an interest in science and social science.
Credit Information
This course can be used toward completion of the Natural World (NW) requirement.
Credits: 5
Meets: T W Th F, 9–11:30 a.m.
Location: TBD
Instructor: Fred Bookstein
Course Number: STAT 100
Course Status: Open
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