INQ-110 | Science, Myths, Magic, & Chaos

Full Title: Science, Myths, Magic, and Chaos

Topic Description:

How do we know what we know? Humans convey information through stories, which can oversimplify and distort the information. The resulting myths may be misinterpreted and modified by those hearing the story. Even our senses are subject to story-telling, as our brains do impressive amounts of computation before sending a story to our conscious mind. Magic tricks and illusions help illuminate some of the details of the brain’s inner workings. Physical processes play tricks on us as well. The mathematical field of chaos explores situations in which seemingly random phenomena are produced by simple mathematical rules. This course explores the boundary between fact and myth and the boundary between the knowable and the unknowable.

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: March 2011