Splash Biography

Democracy is among the rarest and most fragile forms of government. Of all political systems, it is perhaps the most difficult both to establish and to preserve. But why is that the case? And, more importantly, is democracy worth the effort required to sustain it? In this course, we will explore a series of case studies of governments throughout history to address these questions. Beginning with ancient Athens and the Roman Res Publica, and moving through the American and French Revolutions, Colonialism, the revolutions of 1848, the rise of fascist regimes in the 20th century, the USSR, and the development of the European Union, we will identify key similarities, differences, and lessons that can help us better understand the challenges and promises of democracy today.

10,000 years ago, humans looked at the stars and wondered about their place in the cosmos. Were we at the center of the universe? Why do the Sun, the Moon, and those wandering "stars" move across the sky? What is humanity’s role in this vast expanse? This course traces the evolution of our understanding of the solar system, beginning with the insights of the ancient world and moving through the revolutionary contributions of Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Newton, and Le Verrier. We will also consider how modern theories have reshaped our cosmic perspective. Along the way, we will derive Kepler’s laws from Newtonian mechanics and explore the scientific observations and reasoning that gave rise to these landmark discoveries.