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Items of interest:
Jan 20 W Lecture # 1 Introduction; Start reading Sagan
22 F Lecture # 2 The Scientific Method; Continue reading Sagan
25 M Lecture # 3 Induction and Deduction; Magic; Quiz on preface, chapters 1 and 2 of Sagan
27 W Lecture # 4 DNA, Art Fraud, Shroud of Turin; Quiz on chapters 3 and 4 of Sagan
29 F Lecture # 5 Observation and Perception; Observation Exercise; Homework #1 due by 11:00am
Feb 1 M Lecture # 6 UFOs; Quiz on chapters 5 and 6 of Sagan
3 W Lecture # 7 UFOs and Roswell; Quiz on chapters 7 and 8 of Sagan
5 F Lecture # 8 UFOs and Frank Scully; Memory exercise; Homework #2 due by 11:00am
8 M Lecture # 9 What is Evidence?; Memory exercise results; Quiz on chapters 9 and 10 of Sagan
10 W Lecture #10 What is Evidence?; Quiz on chapters 11 and 12 of Sagan
12 F Lecture #11 Class canceled due to weather
15 M Lecture #12 Eyewitness Testimony; Quiz on chapters 13 and 14 of Sagan;
Midterm paper's title, abstract, outline, and sources due by 11:00am
17 W Lecture #13 Eyewitness Testimony; Quiz on chapters 15 and 16 of Sagan
19 F Lecture #14 Astrology; 3-page Book review #1 due by 11:00am
22 M Lecture #15 ESP; Quiz on foreword through chapter 2 of Schick and Vaughn
24 W Lecture #16 Psychics; Quiz on chapter 3 of Schick and Vaughn
26 F Lecture #17 Psychics; Homework #3 due by 11:00am
Mar 1 M Lecture #18 Cold Reading; Talking to the Dead; Quiz on They See Dead People, Or Do They?
3 W Lecture #19 Cold Reading; Talking to the Dead; Quiz on James Randi's One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge
5 F Lecture #20 Cold Reading; Talking to the Dead; Midterm paper due by 11:00am
8 M Spring Break
10 W Spring Break
12 F Spring Break
15 M Lecture #21 Experiment Design; Quiz on chapter 4 of Schick and Vaughn
17 W Lecture #22 Experiment Design; Quiz on chapter 5 of Schick and Vaughn
19 F Lecture #23 Threshold Phenomena; Homework #4 due by 11:00am
22 M Lecture #24 Threshold Phenomena; Quiz on chapter 6 of Schick and Vaughn
24 W Lecture #25 Hoaxes; Quiz on chapter 7 of Schick and Vaughn
26 F Lecture #26 Hoaxes; Homework #5 due by 11:00am
29 M Lecture #27 Probability; Quiz on chapter 8 of Schick and Vaughn
31 W Lecture #28 Probability; Quiz on foreword through chapter 1 of Shermer
Apr 2 F University Holiday
5 M Lecture #29 Probability; Quiz on chapters 2 and 3 of Shermer
7 W Lecture #30 Scams - guest lecture by Special Agent Paul Ahner (U.S. Secret Service);
Quiz on chapters 4 and 5 of Shermer
9 F Lecture #31 Modern Scams; Final paper's title, abstract, outline, and sources due by 11:00am
12 M Lecture #32 Evolution - guest lecture by Professor Louis Jacobs (SMU Earth Sciences); Quiz on chapters 6 and 7 of Shermer
14 W Lecture #33 Intelligent Design Creationism Preparation; Quiz on chapters 8 and 9 of Shermer
16 F Lecture #34 Intelligent Design is not Science - Guest lecture by Professor John Wise (SMU Biology);
3-page book review #2 due by 11:00am
19 M Lecture #35 Alternative Medicine; Quiz on chapters 10 and 11 of Shermer
21 W Lecture #36 Alternative Medicine; Quiz on chapters 12 and 13 of Shermer
23 F Lecture #37 Law of Unintended Consequences; Midterm rewrites due by 11:00am
26 M Lecture #38 Peak Oil - guest lecture by Professor Bob Gregory (SMU Earth Sciences); Quiz on chapters 14 and 15 of Shermer
28 W Lecture #39 Peak Oil followup; Quiz on chapters 16 and 17 of Shermer
30 F Lecture #40 Searching for the Star; Homework #6 due by 11:00am
May 3 M Lecture #41 2012 - guest lecture by Farley Ferrante; Quiz on chapter 18 of Shermer
4 T Lecture #42 Student Presentations: Polygraph (Lie Detector); Final paper due by 11:00am; Follows a Friday class schedule
10 M Final Examination: 11:30am-2:30pm in 153 Fondren Science