https://at-ceu.studyguide.timeedit.net/modules/UGST4160?type=COREOur modern world is changing rapidly. Advances in information-communication technologies, artificial intelligence, and digital environments constantly change the way we perceive each other and society. At the same time, unprecedented challenges like the climate emergency, geopolitical extremism and the instability of global structures test the limits of our ability to coordinate and find solutions at a societal scale. In this atmosphere of seemingly endless yet contradicting information and ever more complex and intertwined issues, it is crucial for individuals to practice the critical thinking skills necessary to build arguments based on quantifiable evidence, and to evaluate objections via the scientific method. This course will be a testbed to explore such a process in a controlled setting. Students will read publications (analyzing complex topics via data analysis and modeling) that led to historical and modern-day controversies (e.g., whether migration is leading to more criminal offenses, whether political polarization is increasing) and write a term paper in the style of a research paper about them. The term paper is geared toward preparing students for writing their BA thesis and conducting research in general. In particular, students will learn how to incorporate insights from multiple disciplines in their reports and how to combine substantial research questions and theoretical considerations with data and methods.