Education
Have you ever thought of taking a course on stupidity or zombies? Here are a few courses that will leave you in splits and make you question the array of education being provided
Updated : Nov 24, 2016, 07:00 AM IST
Believe it or not, there is a course on stupidity, conducted by Occidental College in Los Angeles. Offered as a part of the Critical Theory and Social Justice programme, the course in critical psychology focuses on why we deem certain people 'stupid'.
Why only watch superheroes—Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman—when you can now study them too? The University of California at Irvine helps students understand physics and astronomy—for example, understanding the physics of flying by studying Superman. With the help of case studies, they try to understand the subject better.
Have you ever wondered why you get distracted? Offered at the Belmont University in the US, this course on distraction titled 'Oh, Look, a Chicken!' helps students identify distraction as a way of knowing how to focus better by using non-traditional techniques.
At 'The Joy of Garbage' course offered at the Santa Clara University in the US, students study the science behind human consumption and discarded waste. Learning how trash is treated, the processes used to recycle, reuse and treat garbage, it offers sustainable solutions to dealing with modern waste.
Have The Simpsons taught you anything? Believe it or not, Glasgow University has a one-day course named 'D'oh! The Simpsons Introduce Philosophy'. That's not it; there's another two-unit course in the US,which addresses questions such as 'does Nietzsche's rejection of traditional morality justify Bart's bad behaviour?'
If you're a major a fan of blood-sucking zombies, then the course at Columbia College in Chicago may be the perfect class for you. It focuses on the history of zombies in movies and literature.
A course devoted solely to learning from YouTube is offered by the Pitzer College, in California. Absurd as it may sound, all assignments and classwork are based around the video blogging site.
No, you don't get to chug liquor for a practical exam, but what the Alcohol Technology course offered at Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) in Maharashtra will teach you is to understand technical, educational and scientific functions related to the sugar industry. Split into three categories—regular, short-term and national-level—students conduct research on developing low-cost yet effective alcohol production.
Conducted at the Indian Institute of Hospitality and Management in Mumbai and SRM: Department of Food Process Engineering, at Ghaziabad, UP, this course teaches you how to mix ingredients to create a flavour. You can also acquire an understanding of aroma chemicals, plant extracts and essential oils, which are vital in the fragrance industry.
This course opens your mind to the biological, social and psychological aspects of ageing. Offered by Ramnarain Ruia College in Mumbai and the Institute of Home Economics at New Delhi, one can apply to NGOs and work for the welfare of the not-so-young of our society.