"Notes" refers to printed lecture notes, which will be handed out in class. We reserve the right to modify this schedule, especially if we find some more cool guest lecturers. We won't change the test dates, though.
|
Day |
Date |
Topic |
|
|
M |
Jan 7 |
Welcome;
introduction to formal models |
Limits to
Growth, Chapter 1 |
|
W |
Jan 9 |
Modeling
and science; Model terminology and examples |
Notes:
Chapter M |
|
F |
Jan 11 |
Model
terminology and examples |
Notes:
Chapter M |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Jan 14 |
Linear
Models: your course grade and GPA |
Notes:
Chapter LM |
|
W |
Jan 16 |
Linear
Models: indices and regression |
Notes:
Chapter LM |
|
F |
Jan 18 |
Cellular
models: the Game of Life |
Notes:
Chapter D |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Jan 21 |
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – Yippee! |
|
|
W |
Jan 23 |
Cellular
models: predator-prey and chemical reactions |
Notes:
Chapter D |
|
F |
Jan 25 |
Predicting
the Future |
Notes:
Chapter F |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Jan 28 |
Modeling
population growth with Excel and Euler’s method |
Notes:
Chapter P1 |
|
W |
Jan 30 |
Exponential
growth and decay; financial discounting |
Limits to Growth: Chapter 2 |
|
F |
Feb 1 |
Logistic
growth, Maximum Sustainable Yield, and stability |
Notes:
Chapter P2 |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Feb 4 |
More
exponential and logarithmic examples; curve fitting |
Notes:
Chapter P2 |
|
W |
Feb 6 |
The Human
Equation: unlimited growth vs. limits to growth |
Limits to
Growth, Chapter 3 |
|
F |
Feb 8 |
Ballistics:
Euler’s method and the batted-ball problem |
Notes:
Chapter B |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Feb 11 |
Elaborating
the batted-ball problem |
Notes:
Chapter B |
|
W |
Feb 13 |
Ballistics
goes to war: Big Bertha |
Notes:
Chapter B |
|
F |
Feb 15 |
Economics:
Economic growth and budget deficits |
Notes:
Chapter Ec |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Feb 18 |
Economics:
the Social Security debate |
Notes:
Chapter Ec |
|
T |
Feb 19 |
Test 1
review session: |
|
|
W |
Feb 20 |
Test 1 – Yikes! Covers through Economics |
|
|
F |
Feb 22 |
Test 1
solutions |
|
|
|
|||
|
M |
Feb 25 |
Epidemiology:
Ebola, smallpox, SARS, Syphilis |
Notes:
Chapter Ep |
|
W |
Feb 27 |
Epidemiology: public health responses |
Notes:
Chapter Ep |
|
F |
Feb 29 |
Epidemiology:
Ebola, smallpox, SARS, Syphilis |
Notes:
Chapter Ep |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Mar 3 |
The
Inquisition vs. Galileo |
Notes:
Chapter A |
|
T |
Mar 4 |
Midpoint withdrawal deadline: |
|
|
W |
Mar 6 |
Astronomical
modeling |
Notes:
Chapter A |
|
F |
Mar 8 |
Percolation
and galaxy formation; big things hitting Earth |
Notes:
Chapter A |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Mar 10 |
Spring Break! Yippee! |
|
|
W |
Mar 12 |
||
|
F |
Mar 14 |
||
|
|
|||
|
M |
Mar 17 |
Stochastic
model of family names, Extinction |
Notes:
Chapter Ev |
|
W |
Mar 19 |
Macro-evolution:
the species model |
Notes:
Chapter Ev |
|
F |
Mar 21 |
Micro-evolution:
phylogenetic trees, “Eve” and “Adam” |
Notes:
Chapter Ev |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Mar 24 |
Evolution
vs. Intelligent Design |
Notes:
Chapter Ev |
|
W |
Mar 26 |
Global
Warming: the basics |
Notes:
Chapter W |
|
F |
Mar 28 |
Global
warming: what we know now and the modeling challenges ahead |
|
|
|
|||
|
M |
Mar 31 |
Global
warming: carbon emissions scenarios and future histories |
Notes:
Chapter W |
|
W |
Apr 2 |
Back from
beyond the Limits: the Ozone Story |
Limits to
Growth: Chapter 5 |
|
F |
Apr 4 |
The GAIA
hypothesis: a radical view of life on Earth |
|
|
|
|||
|
M |
Apr 7 |
Sustainability:
Hubbert’s Peak |
Notes:
Chapter L2 |
|
W |
Apr 9 |
Sustainability:
modeling small societies with Stella |
Limits to
Growth, Chapter 4 |
|
Th |
Apr 10 |
Test 2
review session: |
|
|
F |
Apr 11 |
Test 2 -- Yikes! Covers all
material through Apr 9 |
|
|
|
|||
|
M |
Apr 14 |
Test 2 solutions; sustainability |
|
|
W |
Apr 16 |
Sustainability:
deconstructing the World Model |
Notes:
Chapter L3 |
|
F |
Apr 18 |
Sustainability:
Exercising the World3 model |
Limits to
Growth: Chapter 7 |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Apr 21 |
Guest lecture: Global Politics of the Kyoto Accord, Dr. Dan
Bodansky |
|
|
W |
Apr 23 |
The Cornucopians: can markets get us to sustainability? |
Limits to
Growth: Chapter 6 |
|
F |
Apr 25 |
Sustainability:
Ecological Footprint and THE BIG ANSWER |
Chapter
L3 |
|
|
|||
|
M |
Apr 28 |
Transitions
to a sustainable world system |
Limits to
Growth: Chapter 7, 8 |
|
Sun |
May 4 |
Final Exam review session: 5:30 pm in room 328
Boyd |
|
|
M |
May 5 |
Final exam -- |
|