L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, supposedly said “If you want to get rich, you start a religion.” We will explore the vibrant history of cults. The course aims to explore questions including what defines a cult? Why do cults exist? How do some of them become accepted by mainstream society? We will not be examining the veracity of their messages; instead we will examine the anthropological and sociological context of selected cults throughout history. At the end, students will have the opportunity to draw upon what they have learned to create a mock cult.

Few people enjoy sour lemons, but what if it was possible to make a lemon taste like a sweet orange? This transformation is, in fact, quite possible with the help of the miracle berry (Synsepalum dulcificum). This course aims to teach how the miracle berry works along with a broad introduction to certain key concepts in chemistry and biochemistry, such as acid base chemistry and receptor-ligand biochemistry critical to the comprehension of the miracle berry’s effects. Afterwards, students will have the opportunity to go through a guided tasting activity and experience firsthand the effects of the miracle berry on various everyday foods.

Originally hailed as a safe and effective drug, thalidomide’s claims turned out to be false, as evidenced by the thousands of children of thalidomide. Thalidomide, in many ways, was a key turning point in our relationship with drugs in the United States. This seminar aims to investigate many topics including the past and present use of thalidomide with a focus on the United States, the chemistry of thalidomide, the drug research and development process. All of this discussion will happen over a nice cuppa tea!

We'll have fun preparing some of the Thanksgiving classics such as pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and other goodies. We'll teach you all you need to learn to make these dishes and have an early Thanksgiving feast. If all goes well, you'll have a few Thanksgiving classics to show off the Thursday after Splash.

We'll be examining various cultural aspects such as comedy through the lens of audiovisual specimens. We can discuss these specimens in the context of peer-reviewed research papers and other published academic works. We will watch YouTube videos and eat snacks.