NU Splash Biography

Why do the people at the makeup counter in a department store offer to do your makeup for free? Does money always equal happiness? What's the best way to teach a child not to do something? How can you encourage people to donate to charity? This class will cover these questions-- and possibly more!

In this class, we'll discuss the biology, psychology, and history of the period between age 11 and age 20. Come prepared to talk about your own experiences as one of these "teens."

We'll discuss some of the theories behind why humans engage in religious practices and talk about the roles that religion plays in our daily lives. This is not a class to discuss whether religion is "right" or "wrong" but rather to ask "how" and "why" about our own experiences.

Think you’re good at making unbiased decisions? Think again! In this class, we’ll explore some of the classic errors the human brain commits in decision-making, decisions that can cost companies millions of dollars and can affect the way you see your life.

While there are many things to worry about-- global warming, Haiti, gang violence, and animal cruelty-- nothing seems to worry high school students more than getting into college. This session, led by an admissions counselor at the University of Chicago, will focus on ways to harness the stress positively and productively throughout the long process, and there will be an opportunity for students to ask questions about the file reading and selection process.

Did you know that before 9/11, the largest non-natural disaster event to cause U.S. citizen death was due to an organization called the Peoples Temple? Have you seen that South Park episode that absolutely drags on Scientology? This class will introduce some of the psychological, sociological, and religious debates surrounding what the media calls cults but scholars tend to call new religious movements. We will also debate the relative merits of these different viewpoints.