Our aim in this course is to teach you to think critically

Calling Bull https://callingbullshit.org/

Bullshit is everywhere, and we've had enough. We want to teach people to detect and defuse bullshit where ever it may arise. Calling Bullshit has been developed by Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West to meet what we see as a major need in higher education nationwide.

Sharing as Social Signaling

We are all publishers and many times we share information as a signal of our group membership. Click driven publishing models are facilitating the spread of this fake news.

Stamping Out Fake News

Resources exist for checking and stopping fake news. Remember to question the source of information and to do your best not spread articles you haven’t checked.

Syllabus for Calling Bullshit https://callingbullshit.org/syllabus.html

Calling Bullshit has been developed by Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West to meet what we see as a major need in higher education nationwide. Our learning objectives are straightforward. After taking the course, you should be able to:

Remain vigilant for bullshit contaminating your information diet.
Recognize said bullshit whenever and wherever you encounter it.
Figure out for yourself precisely why a particular bit of bullshit is bullshit.
Provide a statistician or fellow scientist with a technical explanation of why a claim is bullshit.
Provide your crystals-and-homeopathy aunt or casually racist uncle with an accessible and persuasive explanation of why a claim is bullshit.

We will be astonished if these skills do not turn out to be among the most useful and most broadly applicable of those that you acquire during the course of your college education.

Engage in Innovation Labs

Emerging Tech & Innovation:

Gaming is the New Social Media

Engage with emerging trends (AI, biotechnology, renewable energy, etc.). Students are encouraged to explore and even experiment with new technologies (e.g. building simple AI apps or using virtual reality for immersive learning) so they become comfortable navigating innovation. They also discuss the societal implications of these technologies, fostering ethical thinking.

Gaming is the New Social Media

Using games in learning environments experience deeper engagement and enhanced collaboration. Educational games foster active problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking by placing students in immersive scenarios where they must work together to overcome challenges. Whether through role-playing, strategy, or digital simulations, games encourage peer interaction, build communication skills, and create a sense of shared purpose. When designed with educational outcomes in mind, these experiences make abstract concepts tangible, spark intrinsic motivation, and cultivate teamwork—helping students internalize both content knowledge and social-emotional skills.

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Gaming is the New Social Media

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Given the fast-changing job landscape, the program nurtures entrepreneurship and initiative. Students might undertake a venture project – such as designing a startup, launching a social campaign, or developing a prototype – as part of their learning. This teaches them to see opportunities, create solutions, and learn from failure, which is vital in the 21st-century economy.