Why are things the way they are? In this class, we'll explore the causes of everything from grand historical events to mundane everyday realities. Why does the universe exist? Why did Europeans take over the world? Why did crime drop in the mid 1990s? Why doesn't America use the metric system? Why did you have so much trouble finding your way around Boston? Why did this election go the way it did? Why are video games seen as a boys club? The answers to these questions and more will span science, history, economics, and geopolitics, so be prepared for anything! A basic understanding of geography, history, science, and critical thinking is expected, but students will probably be able to pick things up on the fly.

Ever heard of the Battle of Talas? How about the Taiping Rebellion? Or the Imjin War? Or Mansa Musa's Hajj? You're very much forgiven if you said 'no'. This class will fill in important areas of history that often aren't taught in schools, but are nonetheless vital to understanding how the modern world came to be. And yes, you should be prepared for lots of non-European history. There will be some overlap between this class and my other class, Why Things Are the Way They Are, but this class will focus much more on important historical and political moments as opposed to explanations for everyday phenomena.