Science and Mathematics
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Genome Jumpstart: An Introduction to Bioinformatic Analysis — BIO2117.01
This course offers an immersive experience into the world of DNA, genes, and genomes in eukaryotic organisms. In addition to getting a grasp of the foundational biology, we will become familiar with the computational algorithms and methodologies used to analyze and mine the ever-increasing data generated from whole-genome sequencing, high-throughput proteomic analyses, and our
Genome Jumpstart: An Introduction to Bioinformatic Analysis — BIO2117.01
This course offers an immersive experience into the world of DNA, genes, and genomes in eukaryotic organisms. In addition to gaining a grasp of the foundational biology, students will engage with various online databases and resources, becoming familiar with the computational algorithms and methodologies used to mine and analyze the ever-increasing data generated from whole
Genome Jumpstart: An Introduction to Bioinformatic Analysis — BIO2117.01
This course offers an immersive experience into the world of DNA, genes, and genomes in eukaryotic organisms. In addition to getting a grasp of the foundational biology, we will become familiar with the computational algorithms and methodologies used to analyze and mine the ever-increasing data generated from whole-genome sequencing, high-throughput proteomic analyses,
Genome Jumpstart: An Introduction to Bioinformatic Analysis — BIO2117.01
This course offers an immersive experience into the world of DNA, genes, and genomes in eukaryotic organisms. In addition to getting a grasp of the foundational biology, we will become familiar with the computational algorithms and methodologies used to analyze and mine the ever-increasing data generated from whole-genome sequencing, high-throughput proteomic analyses, and our
Genome Jumpstart: An Introduction to Bioinformatic Analysis — BIO2117.01
This course offers an immersive experience into the world of DNA, genes, and genomes in eukaryotic organisms. In addition to getting a grasp of the foundational biology, we will become familiar with the computational algorithms and methodologies used to analyze and mine the ever-increasing data generated from whole-genome sequencing, high-throughput proteomic analyses,
Geology of the Bennington Region — ES2101.01
The stunning landscapes seen from Bennington’s campus were sculpted by geologic processes over millions of years. Bennington College lies near an ancient boundary, along which the Proto-North American continent’s coast collided with other continental fragments over 400 million years ago to build the continent as we see today. The Bennington region is an excellent natural
Geometry — MAT2106.01
In the nineteenth and twentieth (and twenty-first!) centuries, mathematicians have been stretching the idea of "geometry" far beyond the geometry of Euclid most people are familiar with: into the fourth (or higher) dimension, curved spaces, and more. This new geometry (the part I am referring to is called "differential geometry and topology") is philosophically and
Geometry and Physics — MAT2245.01
This is an introductory course on modern geometry and its relationship to physics. We will be looking at how space might have more than three dimensions, or be combined with time, or be closed in on itself in different ways (such as the surface of a sphere or a donut), or be curved in various ways. Our current theories and observations in physics indicate that space and time
Geometry and Physics — MAT2245.01
In the nineteenth and twentieth (and twenty-first!) centuries, mathematicians have been stretching the idea of “geometry” far beyond the geometry of Euclid's triangles and circles most people are familiar with: into the fourth (or higher) dimension, curved spaces, and more. This new geometry (the part I am referring to is technically called “differential geometry and topology”)
Global Change Biology — BIO4100.01
Human activity is altering the environment at such an unprecedented rate that many scientists consider this to be the genesis of a new geological age, the Anthropocene. In this class we will examine human impacts at the level of the ecosystem, population, and organism by exploring and discussing current primary literature. Areas of discussion will be shaped by student interest,
Global Change: Earth Systems in the Anthropocene — BIO2235.01
"Anthropocene" has been proposed as a name for the current period of Earth history, defined by the detectability of a global human 'signal' in the geological record; proposed starting dates range from ca. 12,000 years ago to the mid-20th century. Regardless of the acceptance of the term, human activities have induced large, global changes in atmospheric, biological, and
Global Environmental Systems in the Anthropocene — ENV4123.01
It's about anthropogenic climate change, but also the history of global systems over millennia and longer, effects of human civilization and agriculture on global nutrient and hydrological cycles, etc. -- with focus on planetary scale. This course views global processes through the lens of ecosystem science (sometimes called 'biogeochemistry', which tells you something about
Graphical Persuasion: Visualizing Data Appropriately — MAT2249.02
Information and data surround us. They inform what we do, the decisions we make, and what we ask of others. But how can we see what the data is telling us? How can we build graphical approaches that will allow us to make our own decisions—and help others see the patterns we are basing our decisions off of?
By looking at the history of graphical data, and then building our own,
Histories of Numbers — MAT2484.01
As mathematics has become increasingly complex and abstract, so too have the number systems necessary to define and work within each expansion. The development of the concept of number parallels that of mathematics itself, intertwined in a symbiosis where numbers generate new mathematical fields and mathematical insight unveils deeper understanding of numbers. This
How Do Animals Work? — BIO2102.01
How do animals work? Why do different animals work in different ways? The blue whale in the Pacific, the tapeworm lodged in the gut of a fox, and the flour beetle in your cupboard all must eat and grow and reproduce yet they differ enormously in size, longevity and environment. The particular ways in which each of these animals has "solved" these problems are different yet
How Do Animals Work? (with lab) — BIO2102.01
The blue whale in the Pacific, the tapeworm lodged in the gut of a fox, and the flour beetle in your cupboard all must eat and grow and reproduce yet they differ enormously in size, longevity, and environment. The particular ways in which each of these animals has solved these problems are different yet there are also underlying similarities in their solutions. Evolutionary
How to Build a Forest — BIO2131.01
Bennington’s campus supports beautiful examples of temperate deciduous mixed hardwood forests. This class is a deep dive into forest ecology, land use change, and forest succession at a local scale. Students will explore the local forest community composition, structure, and function over the last 15,000 years and discuss the environmental conditions, disturbance dynamics, and
How to Build a Forest — BIO2131.01
Bennington’s campus supports beautiful examples of temperate deciduous mixed hardwood forests. This class is a deep dive into forest ecology, land use change, and forest succession at a local scale. Students will explore the local forest community composition, structure, and function over the last 15,000 years and discuss the environmental conditions, disturbance
How to Build a Forest — BIO2131.01
Bennington’s campus supports beautiful examples of temperate deciduous mixed hardwood forests. This class is a deep dive into forest ecology, land use change, and forest succession at a local scale. Students will explore the local forest community composition, structure, and function over the last 15,000 years and discuss the environmental conditions, disturbance dynamics, and
How to Build a Habitable Planet — PHY2118.01
This course will investigate the physical conditions and processes necessary for creating a habitable planet. We will study the formation of stars and planets, and the evolution of planets after formation into safe harbors for life. This will include investigation of how both stellar and geological processes affect the habitability of planets, and consideration of the possible
How to Build an Organism (with Lab) — BIO2220.01
The organism sits at the heart of biological evolution. Judged on its form and performance, the organism is the ultimate object of natural selection, and thus understanding its development and function is key for understanding the evolution of life. In this course you will learn fundamentals across the levels of biological organization to understand how genetic information
How to Restore a Forest — BIO2151.01
Bennington’s campus supports beautiful examples of temperate deciduous mixed hardwood forests. Our forests are also impacted by legacies of past land-use and introduced plant species that affect biodiversity and ecological function. This class is a hands-on exploration of ecological restoration and invasive species removal in our own back yard. Students will
How to Think Like a Data Scientist — CS4115.01
This class will cover the methods used to gather, clean, normalize, visualize, and analyze quantitative data to inform decision making in multiple fields of study. We will use spreadsheets, SQL and Python to work on real-world datasets using a combination of procedural and basic machine-learning algorithms. Students will also learn to ask good, exploratory questions and develop
How to Think Like a Data Scientist — CS4115.01
In this course, you will be introduced to the importance of gathering, cleaning, normalizing, visualizing and analyzing data to drive informed decision-making, no matter the field of study. You will learn to use a combination of tools and techniques, including spreadsheets, SQL, and Python to work on real-world datasets using a combination of procedural and basic machine