In a not-really-related-yet-still-fun bit of news, The University of California’s Irvine campus will be hosting a free online education course from October through December. The topic? “Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead” television series. As per the Course Description:
From understanding social identities to modeling the spread of disease, this eight-week course will span key science and survival themes using AMC’s The Walking Dead as its basis. Four faculty members from the University of California, Irvine will take you on an inter-disciplinary academic journey deep into the world of AMC’s The Walking Dead, exploring the following topics:
- Maslow’s hierarchy of needs-is survival just about being alive?
- Social order and structures-from the farm and the prison to Woodbury
- Social identity, roles, and stereotyping-as shown through leaders like Rick and the Governor
- The role of public health in society-from the CDC to local community organizations
- The spread of infectious disease and population modeling-swarm!
- The role of energy and momentum in damage control-how can you best protect yourself?
- Nutrition in a post-apocalyptic world-are squirrels really good for you?
- Managing stress in disaster situations-what’s the long-term effect of always sleeping with one eye open?
Again, this is a FREE online college course, complete with lectures, discussions and quizzes, taught by actual Ph.D-level academics . . . but it’s based on AMC’s The Walking Dead! For more information, visit the official website HERE.