Harvard University
Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning 12 and CSCI E-2
Spring Term, 2011
This is the web site of two courses:
Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning 12, a General Education course in Harvard College (email emr12@seas.harvard.edu)
Computer Science E-2, in the Harvard Extension School (email cscie2@seas.harvard.edu)
Announcements:
First reading assingment has been posted below
Date |
Topic and Resources |
Homework |
Readings (B=Blown to Bits, N=Course Notes) |
|
| Tu | Jan 25 |
Information Freedom; the Koans of Bits (pdf) |
|
|
| Th | 27 |
Representation: How it works and why it matters |
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| Tu | Feb 1 |
Moore's Law and Other Exponentials (pdf) |
B, Ch. 1; N, Ch. 1; Recent Events in Egypt (Tor blog); New Service Lets Voices from Egypt be Heard |
|
| Th | 3 |
Entropy (pdf) | ||
| Tu | 8 |
Way too much information? (ppt) | B, Ch 2, Morris Computer Worm (1988 video), What is the Internet? (1994 video) | |
| Th | 10 |
WTMI2? (ppt) |
Paper 1 due | |
| Tu | 15 |
Internet Protocols (ppt) |
PS 1 due |
B 73-93, 310-316, N 57-62, Funky but accuratte old video about packet switching |
| Th | 17 |
Search (.ppt) |
||
| Tu | 22 |
Historical cryptography (ppt) |
|
B, Ch. 5, New Hacking Tools Pose Bigger Threats, Vigenère tool, Free Trove of Music Scores on Web |
| Th | 24 |
Public Key Cryptography (ppt) | PS 2 due |
|
| Tu | March 1 |
Public Key Cryptography II (.ppt) |
Limits on lending e-books, Man gets out of speeding ticket with phone app, Well-oiled security apparatus in China |
|
| Th | 3 |
Midterm |
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| Tu | 8 |
Guest: Professor Latanya Sweeney, on de-identification | Paper 2 due; Project Proposal available | |
| Th | 10 |
Internet Speech I (pptx) |
PS (docx, pdf, CFR extract) | Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, Michigan town split on child porn charges, Facebook won't budge on breastfeeding, Facebook bans breast cancer survivor's photo |
Spring Break |
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| Tu | 22 |
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| Th | 24 |
Copyright (pptx, ppt) | PS 3 due |
B, Ch. 6. News stories: Rapleaf, Google Books settlement; Judge Chin's opinion; Professor Darnton's op-ed |
| Tu | 29 |
Copyright, continued |
Preliminary Project Proposal due |
West censoring East, A girl's nude photo and altered lives, Wisconsin open records law request |
| Th | 31 |
CDA Section 230 (ppt) | B, Ch. 7. A victim, her picture, and Facebook | |
| Tu | April 5 |
Analog and Digital (ppt) |
|
N 7 |
| Th | 7 |
Analog and Digital II | Project proposal due | N 8 |
| Tu | 12 |
Wireless and Wiretapping (ppt) |
PS 4 due |
B 8, Court upholds Facebook settlement with twins, Camera scans of licence plates are reshaping police inquiries, Egypt sentences blogger to 3 years, Bits and Pieces blog |
| Th | 14 |
Cellular and Geolocation (ppt), Broadcast Regulation (ppt) |
|
|
| Tu | 19 |
Spread Spectrum (ppt) | PS5 (docx, pdf) and video | Internet poker, Internet sales taxes, Broadway show name |
| Th | 21 |
Network Neutrality (ppt) | Paper 4 due | Iphone tracking, cell phone snooping, camera store closing, EU ruling on content filtering |
| Tu | 26 |
Conclusion (ppt) |
PS 5 due |
|
| Th | 28 |
Reading Period |
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| Tu | May 3 |
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| Th | 5 |
Projects Due, 2:00 PM May 5, by email | ||
Final Exam TBD
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