Family Weekend 2014 Model Classes
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Model Classes are designed to introduce family members to our faculty, as well as their research and
methods of teaching. Classes will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis until maximum capacity
is reached.
Session I: 9:30 – 10:30 AM
Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast
David Archer | Geophysical Sciences
Cobb Lecture Hall, Room 409, 5811 South Ellis Avenue (32 seats)
Parents and families are invited to attend a physical science class that would be offered for non-science
major undergraduates focusing on the topic of Global Warming.
Asclepius Worship in Ancient Greece: Hero-Doctor or God?
Christopher Faraone | Classics
Social Science Research Building, Room 105, 1126 East 59th Street (30 seats)
By the end of the fourth century BCE Asclepius was one of the most popular gods in ancient Greece,
but he was a new arrival. Earlier texts tell us he had been a mortal doctor killed by Zeus for bringing
people back from the dead and people did indeed go to his sanctuary to be healed. In some places he
was worshiped as a "hero", which in ancient Greece was a powerful dead person: he represented as a
snake, offered raw eggs and completely burnt animals in sacrifice and people went to sleep in his
sanctuary to get dreams and healing. In other ways he seems divine: he is represented as an older
man, similar to Zeus, and cities all over the Greek world celebrated festivals for him before richly
furnished temples. Like Herakles he is one of a scant handful of mortals who are worshiped as gods in
the classical world.
Modernism and the Japanese Style: Japanese Art and Architecture, 1908-1935
Chelsea Foxwell | Art History
Cobb Lecture Hall, Room 403, 5811 South Ellis Avenue (30 seats)
When Japanese artists, intellectuals, and government officials first began to discuss the goal of having
Japan "join [the ranks of the world's] first-rate nations" in the 1870s, they referred primarily to the
mastery of Western methods of mechanized industry, transportation, communication, medicine, dress,
architecture, warfare, and so forth. By the 1920s, however, the direct equation between the modern
and the Western had come under question, not only within Japan, but also among European architects
and designers, who increasingly hailed forms of premodern Japanese architecture and visual art as
already fulfilling the major tenets of modernist design. Yet this situation created a paradox for many
artists within Japan, for if premodern Japanese art and architecture was already modern, then what
innovations could new Japanese artists possibly contribute? Examining works of painting, architecture,
and craft design from the 1910s through 30s, this lecture shows how diverse understandings of artistic
modernism developed in a world order that was deeply uneven.
Mate Choice in Insects
Eric Larsen | Biological Sciences Collegiate Division
Kent Chemical Laboratory, Room 120, 1020 East 58th Street (174 seats)
This is your chance to see what your students are learning in class. This class is a typical lecture
for my Core Biology (non-bio majors) class "Public & Private Lives of Insects".
Building an Undefeated Mind
Alex Lickerman, MD | Student Health and Counseling Service
Biological Sciences Learning Center, Room 205, 924 East 57th Street (70 seats)
New scientific research suggests that resilience isn't something with which only a fortunate few of us
have been born, but rather something we can all take specific action to develop. To build strength out
of adversity, we need a catalyst. What we need, according to Dr. Alex Lickerman, is wisdom--wisdom
that adversity has the potential to teach us. Dr. Lickerman teaches principles for our own lives,
enabling us to develop for ourselves the resilience we need to achieve indestructible happiness.
Note: Also available in Session II.
Siblings in Politics: Some Medieval and Modern Perspectives
Jonathon Lyon | History
Stuart Hall, Room 104, 5835 South Greenwood Avenue (60 seats)
This lecture and discussion will explore why some royal and noble siblings worked well together in the
political sphere during the Middle Ages, while others fought so bitterly (and sometimes even violently).
We will also reflect on a few examples of siblings in world politics today in order to consider whether
medieval siblings have any lessons to teach modern politicians.
Brain and Behavior
Daniel Margoliash | Neurobiology
Biological Sciences Learning Center, Room 240, 924 East 57th Street (35 seats)
This class presents an overview of how the brain works in the sense of representing processing
information. It emphasizes a comparative and evolutionary approach by exploring brain mechanisms of
animal behavior, including many examples drawn from outside of mammals. We will also develop
some parallels to human behavior.
Helping Another in Distress: Lessons from Rats
Peggy Mason | Neurobiology
Cobb Lecture Hall, Room 402, 5811 South Ellis Avenue (34 seats)
Peggy Mason will discuss her pioneering work on pro-social behavior, which demonstrates that acting
for the benefit of another is part of the mammalian template. The implications of her studies for
human society will be discussed.
Note: Also Available in Session II.
Writing Speeches: Reagan and Obama
Larry McEnerney | Humanities Collegiate Division
Kent Chemical Laboratory, Room 107, 1020 East 58th Street (286 seats)
Writing Speeches, a course offered in the College the past four years, has experimented with linking
the intensely practical and the intensely theoretical. On one hand, students have to grapple with the
techniques of writing political speeches: texts that not only are delivered aloud, but delivered by
someone other than the writer. These are texts that must serve very pragmatic purposes. It’s hard to
imagine prose more different from academic papers. But on the other hand, students in the course are
also reading Locke and Heidegger, as we consider, and whether, the language of politics is shaped by
the high abstractions of philosophy. This session will give a snapshot view of this most peculiar course.
Note: This presenter is also offering a class in Session II.
A Brief Adventure in Human Physiology
Daniel McGehee | Committee on Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care
Kersten Physics Teaching Center, Room 103, 5720 South Ellis Avenue (49 seats)
We will cover some of the more intriguing ways that the human body solves challenging physical
problems that help us adapt and survive in challenging environments.
Note: Also available in Session II.
Profanity and the Shifting Landscape of Taboo Language
Jason Riggle| Linguistics
Stuart Hall, Room 105, 5835 South Greenwood Avenue (75 seats)
This lecture will examine "bad words" from several perspectives: developmental, neurological,
sociological, and historical. The evidence suggests that, despite the discomfort it causes (or perhaps
because of it), profanity is a useful and basic ingredient of human language. To illustrate this point, we
will review the rise and fall of the "badness" of various kinds of taboo language over the last 100 years
in the English language. (WARNING: this lecture will contain quite a lot of explicit language.)
Holding Other Things Constant
Allen R. Sanderson | Economics
Social Science Research Building, Room 122, 1126 East 59th Street (150 seats)
One often thinks of economics as having two main areas: micro and macro. And yet it is the third
branch – quantification, modeling and measurement – that often distinguishes the science of
economics from other neighboring disciplines. In our hour together we’ll walk through a plethora of
basic contemporary examples of how the general public, media and public officials make mistakes,
either out of ignorance or on purpose, in their reasoning, advocacy and decision-making.
Note: This presenter is also offering a class in Session II.
The Poetry of Charles Baudelaire
Rosanna Warren | Committee on Social Thought
Foster Hall, Room 305, 1130 East 59th Street (15 seats)
This class will offer a close reading of several poems by Baudelaire, in English translation with reference
to the French original. Knowledge of French is not necessary.
The Architecture of the University of Chicago: Today and Tomorrow
Steve Wiesenthal | University Architect
Biological Sciences Learning Center, Room 109, 924 East 57th Street (220 seats)
While the majority of research and teaching takes place within the confines of our university and
college buildings, the overarching sense of unique place, and of the very essence of academic
community, is perceived and remembered on the leafy quads and pathways of our campuses. At the
University of Chicago, recent projects to place architecture in an evolving and layered context and
enhance the underlying fabric of open spaces have begun to dramatically transform the campus from a
series of inward-focused exclusionary quadrangles into a place of dynamic engagement with the world
outside. Steven Wiesenthal, FAIA will share insight on the balance between inside and outside, from
the scale of individual buildings to that of the entire campus.
An Architectural Tour of the University of Chicago
Chicago Architectural Foundation
Ida Noyes Hall, Cloister Courtyard, 1212 East 59th Street (60 guests)
Explore the early Collegiate Gothic roots of the University Chicago buildings and hear about the
influential architects who have left their mark across campus during this abridged version of the
Chicago Architectural Foundation Tour of the University of Chicago. This hour-long tour will offer
insights about buildings in the main quadrangle and surrounding buildings. For the complete tour, join
the Chicago Architectural Foundation for their full tour, which runs from 10:00 AM to Noon. You can
find more information about the full tour in the Family Weekend Schedule, which you received at
check-in.
Note: This is a walking tour of campus and may not be suitable for all guests. The guest limit will be
strictly enforced.
Session II: 11:00 AM – NOON
Arab Language and Arab Americans
Osama Abu-Eledam | Department of Near Eastern Languages
Cobb Lecture Hall, Room 430, 5811 South Ellis Avenue (15 seats)
The session will allow visitors to learn basic facts about Arabic Language and culture. Attendees will be
able to learn a few expressions in Arabic. Additionally the session will focus on Arab American
population in Chicago and in the USA.
Biological and Bionic Hands
Sliman Bensmaia | Organismal Biology and Anatomy
Kersten Physics Teaching Center, Room 105, 5720 South Ellis Avenue (49 seats)
This class will explore natural neural coding and artificial perception.
Human Obesity
Matthew Brady| Medicine
Biological Sciences Learning Center, Room 115, 924 East 57th Street (115 seats)
Rate of obesity have exploded in the United States in the past two decades. We will discuss possible
causes of the obesity epidemic, including underlying factors that promote weight gain/impede weight
loss. A combination of endocrine and metabolic approaches will be employed.
Signal Analysis for Neuroscientists
Wim van Drongelen| Pediatrics
Biological Sciences Learning Center, Room 401, 924 East 57th Street (20 seats)
This class will explore applied mathematics and engineering in analysis of signals from neuronal
systems. The class includes development of theoretical approaches and practical application of
example data.
An Introduction to Quantitative/Computational Biology
Esmael J. Haddadian | Biological Sciences Collegiate Division
Biological Sciences Learning Center, Room 202, 924 East 57th Street (35 seats)
Major Advances in understanding how life works at the molecular level have revolutionized biology in
the last few decades. This course is dedicated to the study of how macromolecules, such as DNA, RNA,
proteins, and phospholipids, perform their functions. The course will begin with a solid grounding in
molecular chemistry and the forces that govern interactions between atoms and molecules. This is
followed by an overview of molecular structure and function, in particular of proteins and enzymes.
The course will then proceed to describe how molecular mishaps can lead to disease. In the computer
labs students will learn how to visualize macromolecules and model their dynamics by means of
molecular dynamic simulations. The students will be introduced to basics of running jobs on a
supercomputer and will carry their simulations on the university clusters.
Mate Choice in Insects
Eric Larsen | Biological Sciences Collegiate Division
Kent Chemical Laboratory, Room 120, 1020 East 58th Street (174 seats)
This is your chance to see what your students are learning in class. This class is a typical lecture
for my Core Biology (non-bio majors) class "Public & Private Lives of Insects".
Law and Economics: A Guided Tour
Jim Leitzel | Public Policy Studies
Stuart Hall, Room 102, 5835 South Greenwood Avenue (60 seats)
The University of Chicago has been at the forefront of the law and economics movement since its
modern conception. But what exactly is law and economics all about? This model class offers a guided
tour through some of the highlights. Fellow travelers will visit the British Museum and a deserted isle,
mingle with Vladimir Nobokov and Jeremy Bentham, and purchase heroin and human kidneys. No visas
and no immunizations are necessary, but a sense of adventure and discovery will help open up the
unexpected vistas of law and economics.
Building an Undefeated Mind
Alex Lickerman, MD | Student Health and Counseling Services
Biological Sciences Learning Center, Room 205, 924 East 57th Street (70 seats)
New scientific research suggests that resilience isn't something with which only a fortunate few of us
have been born, but rather something we can all take specific action to develop. To build strength out
of adversity, we need a catalyst. What we need, according to Dr. Alex Lickerman, is wisdom--wisdom
that adversity has the potential to teach us. Dr. Lickerman teaches principles for our own lives,
enabling us to develop for ourselves the resilience we need to achieve indestructible happiness.
Note: Also available in Session I.
Helping Another in Distress: Lessons from Rats
Peggy Mason | Neurobiology
Cobb Lecture Hall, Room 402, 5811 South Ellis Avenue (34 seats)
Peggy Mason will discuss her pioneering work on pro-social behavior, which demonstrates that acting
for the benefit of another is part of the mammalian template. The implications of her studies for
human society will be discussed.
Note: Also Available in Session I.
What’s the Problem with the Gettysburg Address?
Larry McEnerney | Humanities Collegiate Division
Kent Chemical Laboratory, Room 107, 1020 East 58th Street (286 seats)
Actually, it turns out that the Address has several problems, and they are all to the good. Except for
one paradox: the Address is arguably the best public text ever written in the United States, but it
causes serious problems if you're teaching people how to write. In this session, we'll take a look at
what makes the Address a work of genius, and a pain in the neck.
Note: This presenter is also offering a class in Session I.
A Brief Adventure in Human Physiology
Daniel McGehee | Committee on Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care
Kersten Physics Teaching Center, Room 103, 5720 South Ellis Avenue (49 seats)
We will cover some of the more intriguing ways that the human body solves challenging physical
problems that help us adapt and survive in challenging environments.
Note: Also available in Session I.
Life and Death of a Drop
Sidney Nagel | Physics
Kersten Physics Teaching Center, Room 101, 5720 South Ellis Avenue (25 seats)
The exhilarating spray from waves crashing onto the shore, the distressing sound of a faucet leaking in
the night, and the indispensable role of bubbles dissolving gas into the oceans are but a few examples
of the ubiquitous presence and profound importance of drop formation and splashing in our
lives. They are also examples of a liquid changing its topology as it breaks into pieces. Although part of
our common everyday experience, these changes are far from understood and reveal delightful and
profound surprises upon careful investigation. For example, in droplet fission the fluid forms a neck
that becomes vanishingly thin at the point of breakup so that there is a dynamic singularity in which
physical properties such as pressure diverge. Singularities of this sort often organize the overall
dynamical evolution of nonlinear systems. In this lecture, I will give the life history of a drop – from its
birth to its eventual demise – illustrating the passage of its existence with the scientific surprises that
determine its fate.
Of, By and For the People: The Economic Role of Government in a Market Economy
Allen R. Sanderson | Economics
Social Science Research Building, Room 122, 1126 East 59th Street (150 seats)
On November 4, Americans will head to the polls to vote for (or against) candidates for many local,
state, and national offices as well as various ballot propositions. While for many voters those decisions
will turn on personal beliefs, social values, and past loyalties, economic considerations may loom
large. How does a particular person or party affect me or the society in which I want to live? For an
economist, assessing governments v. markets involves thinking about how each affects the efficient
use of our scarce resources and the equitable distribution of those resources. In our hour together we
will discuss how economists view these choices and criteria across a host of challenging issues.
Note: This presenter is also offering a class in Session I.