It's Time For Preceptorials

It's that time of year again, folks. Rev up your Penn In Touch engines and register for Preceptorials. They're grade-free and may involve alcohol. It's a good chance to pretend you care about learning! Registration begins today and continues through next Monday, February 1.

Of course, the senior 21+ set will fight for spots in the ever-popular Wine Tasting, but there's more to be had from the long list of offerings. Keep reading for our top picks, including Cirque du Soleil, Massages and Mexican food!

For the sensual type: PREC 190.001 A Tranquil Day: Lessons at The Massage Arts Center of Philadelphia: Take a moment to relax and learn about massage at The Massage Arts Center of Philadelphia. Venture to the new downtown location and learn basic techniques of stress relief.

For the acrobatic type: PREC 160.001 The Anatomy Behind the Cirque du Soleil: The world-famous acrobatic troupe, the Cirque du Soleil is performing in Philadelphia on April 30, 2010. This preceptorial will lead the students through a first session on the anatomy and physics behind acrobatics and a quick historical survey of the acrobatic troupes. The second session will include a trip to the performance followed by a group discussion.

For the curious foodie: PREC 300.001 Enough with the TexMex! Where is the Authentic Mexican Food? Have you ever been in this situation: You are wandering through a town in Mexico, and you are craving some delicious Mexican food. You approach a restaurant and ask for a chicken burrito. The workers look at you with a blank stare. Well you may be thinking that there is language barrier. But did you ever consider the fact the burritos are not actually from Mexico? Did you know Caesar Salad was in fact created in Tijuana, Mexico. You probably thought it was named after Julius Caesar. Actually, the chef who created this dish in the 1920s was named Caesar. So what exactly is authentic Mexican food? If this question resonates with you, then this is your chance to learn and taste what Mexican food really is. Mole - a sauce made of poblano peppers, spices, and chocolate  is one of the most unique Mexican dishes. It holds great historic and cultural significance in Mexico's history and development. More importantly, it is one of the most delicious tastes your taste buds will ever encounter. Join Professor Clark Erickson as he delves into the past and discovers the roots of this magnificent food. Mole will be served.

For the nerdy type: PREC 280.001 Space Frisbees, Cloud Whitening and Hurricane Killing Wave Pumps: The latest science fiction movies? The latest gadgets at Toys-R-Us? No, these are proposals from the controversial field of geoengineering. Geoengineering is the study of intentional climate change, i.e. engineering the climate. It includes problems and solutions like: how can we lower average global temperatures? By injecting sea mist into the atmosphere, making clouds denser, thus shielding more of the Earth from the sun's rays (cloud whitening). Provoking heated debate in the media and among bloggers, the authors of Superfreakonomics recently suggested that geoengineering was the best solution we have to global warming. The cheapest geoengineering solutions are currently very cheap (250 million to Kyoto's 100 billion per year), and geoengineering does not require the nearly impossible task of making people green their behavior. Cheap and easy though it may be, does geoengineering raise ethical problems? For example, is it right to experiment with the climate when it might deleteriously effect so many people? When would we ever be certain enough that geoengineering solutions would work certain enough to place others at risk? This preceptorial will introduce an ethical perspective on geoengineering.

For the musician: PREC 250.001 Music and the Brain: Why do we perceive some sounds as beautiful and others not? Dr. Kaplan (with the help of his keyboard) will attempt to integrate music, physics, and neuroscience to try and explain how the mind interprets sound. Students will be able to discover why certain tonal qualities and sonic patterns are pleasing, and how the brian recognizes patterns in sound.