Week 2

Week 2

We'll continue using our running Google Doc for notes.

Monday, October 4

• Our intro videos for each other (ucr login required; only shared with our class)

• Discussion: "The Merchant & The Alchemist's Gate."

  • How does the Alchemist's Gate work?

  • How does the reader learn how the gate works without reading a textbook on the theory of wormholes?

  • How does this compare to the Scientific American articles we discussed last week?

• Discussion and workshopping of "how to do something well" essays

Wednesday, October 6

• Workshopping of how to do something well essays

Reading

• For next week: Watch Arrival and, if you have time, Tenet

Assignments

• Due Wed: Peer review of one colleague, part 1

  • Assignments

  • You will be assigned one colleague's "How To" essay

  • Read your colleague's essay and watch their intro video

  • On Wednesday you will introduce that colleague and their video. You will have one minute (we won't keep time) to introduce your colleague and give a pitch (commercial) for why the rest of the class should read their essay.

• Mon 10/11: Peer review of one colleague, part 2

  • Assignments (same as above)

  • Prepare 0.5 - 1 page of constructive feedback for the person you reviewed: be kind, be helpful. 

  • Consider the following aspects:

    • What was the essay about? What was the goal? (How could you tell?)

    • What worked well with respect to the essay's goals? 

    • What could have been improved, why and how?  (Be kind, but offer constructive suggestions)

    • What was your response to reading the essay? (How did you feel? What did you think about?)

    • Suggestion: end with a positive summary and encouragement

  • Submission Link

• Mon 10/11: Please select a Ted Chiang (or related) short story to examine for the rest of the quarter. You may propose alternatives, but the story must have a clear relation to a scientific idea that you will present in parallel.

  • Submission Link

• Mon 10/11: Learn how to play your assigned "Euro-style" boardgames. We will be playing these games next week and you will be a "knowledgeable expert" on your game.

  • Game assignments

  • The official instruction manuals are on our Canvas. 

  • I encourage you to find other resources (e.g. websites, how-to-play videos) to help you learn how to play and be an effective expert for the game.