A Stanford course sampler
Petroleum Engineering 110Q: Soap Bubbles, Raindrops and Inkjets: An exploration of the magical physics of bubbles and drops
Professor Lynn Orr
The Concept: It's bathtime for grown-ups. Explore how surface tension works while playing with bubbles, water and oils.
The Appeal: Fun experiments. Blow bubbles onto wire frames and float drops of olive oil on Lake Lagunita.
Sociology 40N: The Roots of Social Protest
Professor: Susan Olzak
The Concept: Why do some aggrieved groups rise up, while others stay silent? How do protests affect political systems?
The Appeal: Get immersed in activist history. Readings include Controversy and Coalition: The New Feminist Movement Across Three Decades of Change by Myra Marx Ferree and Beth B. Hess and Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930-1970 by Doug McAdam.
Education 138Q: Educational Testing in American Society
Professor: Edward Haertel
The Concept: The most over-tested generation looks at the purpose, reliability, and biases of all those evaluations.
The Appeal: Debate the real-life consequences of those standardized tests you worked so hard to master. Readings rely heavily on newspaper and journal articles such as "Give Me an 'A' or Else," New York Times, May 24, 1998.
Geophysics 50Q: Earthquakes and Archaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean
Professor: Amos Nur
The Concept: Archaeological ruins tell a surprising story about how earthquakes changed the course of history.
The Appeal Travel to the Middle East. Includes a field trip to Jordan and Israel.
