Cognition 101: How We Acquire Knowledge, Gain Understanding, and Make Decisions

How has the Supreme Court impacted your life? Can the police search your emails? What made desegregation possible? Who is entitled to equal protection under the law? What are your essential rights and freedoms? What are the government's responsibilities and limits? 16 Supreme Court cases have played an outsized role in answering these vital questions. You may know many by name - like Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, and Marbury v. Madison. But who were the people involved, and what issues were at stake? How have your life and your country changed because of these decisions? Join award-winning professor David L. Hudson on a riveting journey through these 16 monumental decisions. You will come away with a better understanding of American history, the legal system, and your individual freedoms. And you will enjoy each step, replete with vivid stories, along your way. A legal scholar with over 40 books to his name, Prof. Hudson also happens to be a judge - of professional boxing. You'll find that his lectures take after his own refreshing blend of knowledgeability on the one hand and liveliness on the other. By the end of the course, you will have gained a deep understanding of some of the Court's landmark decisions. You will also better understand how the Supreme Court actually works, and what its role might be for our future as a nation.

Explore the captivating contradictions of one of U.S. history's most divisive figures with the celebrated West Point professor and author of "Confounding Father: Thomas Jefferson's Image in His Own Time." Thomas Jefferson was the first secretary of state, second vice president, and third president of the United States. A polymath who championed education and religious freedom, he drafted the Declaration of Independence and made more attempts than any other office holder of his generation to end slavery. Yet he remained a slaveholder throughout his life. A diplomat who charmed people abroad, at home he was a lightning rod of controversy—both loved and hated, revered and reviled. Join West Point history professor Robert McDonald as he tells the story of the life of one of history's most fascinating men. In 15 energetic lectures, McDonald—a noted expert on Jefferson, the American Revolution, and the Early Republic—seeks to explain Jefferson as a man of his times. The results will by turns surprise, delight, and confound you, challenging what you think you know about the third president's life and era.

The definitive series on America's boxing greats by a renowned boxing expert, author of over 40 books, and world-champion boxing judge. No sport is more enthralling than boxing. From bare-knuckle boxer John L. Sullivan in the late 1800s to the ferocious fists of "Iron" Mike Tyson in the 1980s, the sport of boxing has shaped American culture for more than a century. The so-called "sweet science" has captured our imaginations with the culture shock of legendary Jack Johnson, the worldwide phenomenon of Muhammad Ali, and a whole cast of colorful characters. As famed boxing announcer Larry Merchant once said, boxing is the "theater of the unexpected." Its storied history has seen momentous bouts, the breakdown of racial barriers, and fights of the century. In this 18-part series, the inimitable David L. Hudson, Jr., takes you on a thrilling ringside ride. You'll explore the rich history of the sport, its greatest heavyweight champions, controversial decisions, historic upsets, and much more. Along the way, you will hear the sagas of such luminaries as Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Sugar Ray Robinson, Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman. Other lectures cover controversial decisions, ring weirdness, and bare-knuckle boxing. You don't want to miss this revelatory, no-holds-barred exploration of boxing.

One of the world's most influential psychologists turns his attention to some of the most important questions of our lives: Who am I? What am I? What might I become? Join Roy Baumeister, celebrated professor and New York Times best-selling author, on a journey inward to discover the origin and meaning of the self. In 15 audio lectures, Dr. Baumeister draws from his renowned laboratory research to demonstrate the urgency of questions of self and identity in the modern world. Dr. Baumeister begins by showing that the self is what separates humans from other animals. The human self—self-aware, enmeshed in meaningful stories, sensitive to morality and reputation, and endlessly self-altering—has no equal anywhere in nature. The lectures explore the general truths and patterns of the self that have been identified by psychologists while recognizing that each self is unique. Individual lectures address the role of self-esteem, as well as self-control, decision making, and free will. Dr. Baumeister also examines the darker side of the self in lectures on self-deception and self-destructive patterns, including bad decision making and suicide. After listening to this series, you'll have a well-rounded understanding of self that is firmly grounded in scientific research. Perhaps most important, you'll grasp the interpersonal role of the self, which took shape to help us relate to other people and, ultimately, to survive.

Heralded as one of the world's greatest scholars of scholars of late medieval religious heterodoxy, Thomas Fudge combines scholarly insight with great storytelling. For centuries, the idea of witches living in our midst has enthralled us. How did this fascination develop? Why did it lead to the persecution of thousands of accused "witches," most of them women? What does the history of witch hunts reveal about our identities and Western civilization at large? Holding doctorates in both medieval history and theology, Prof. Fudge is the perfect guide for this audio course on witch-hunting. Under his tutelage, you will discover how a culture of paranoia developed, why those ideas appealed to men and women in the 16th and 17th centuries, and what effects linger even today. Throughout this 18-part series you will analyze primary sources to understand and contextualize the regulation, detection, and prosecution of alleged witchcraft. By studying the medieval foundations for modern manifestations of witch-hunting—like McCarthyism—you will become more conscientious of the social dynamics of witch-hunts. As Prof. Fudge underscores, witches are a topic "used, misused, and abused."

Get to know the individuals behind some of the historic moments in sports that sent a shiver down our collective spine. Your presenter in this 12-part audio series is Professor David Hudson, an award-winning teacher, leading expert on sports history, and championship boxing judge. Through these captivating lectures, you'll meet the audacious Muhammad Ali, who defied the United States government by standing up for his religious beliefs even though it cost him his heavyweight crown at his fistic peak. You'll spend time with Wilma Rudolph, who defied expectations by overcoming childhood polio to become the fastest woman in the world. Other featured figures are noteworthy not only for their athletic prowess but also for their longevity and sphere of influence. In the lecture on Chicago Bulls phenom Michael Jordan, you'll meet the man who set a ten-year NBA scoring record, revolutionized the sportswear industry, and inspired a documentary commanding a viewership of 5.6 million. Did you know that Babe Didrikson Zaharias was the only track-and field athlete ever to take home individual medals in an Olympic running, throwing, and jumping event? Or that Serena Williams won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other person during the open era? Learn more fascinating facts like these as you spectate from a new vantage point with Prof. Hudson today.