Apocalypse. When most people hear this word, the historical and religious meaning of it usually comes to mind – the end of days or the complete, final destruction of the world as described in the biblical book of Revelation.
It can also mean an event involving destruction or damage on a catastrophic scale.
But what does it have to do with the College of Arts and Sciences?
Our English word “apocalypse” comes from the Greek word apokalupsis, meaning to uncover or reveal. Apocalypse Semester 2020 draws upon this idea, providing an opportunity for the UT community to discover the breadth and depth of intellectual revelation as it applies to history, science, the arts, and human interactions.
Courses offered across the college will feature apocalyptic themes such as “Visions of the End in Early English Literature,” “Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature,” “Surviving the End of the World,” “Understanding Climate Change,” “Microbes and the Apocalypse,” and “Apocalypse & Mass Extinctions” – to name a few.
Learn more about the courses offered for spring 2020.
The Clarence Brown Theatre will present Hamlet and featured art exhibits include Visions of the End at the McClung Museum and Unsustainable – A Planet in Crisis at the Ewing Gallery.
Richard Alley, the Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University will present the annual Mossman Lecture. LaToya Myles and John Kochendorfer, atmospheric scientists with NOAA, will discuss the underlying science of climate change in their lecture, “Climate Change: The inside scoop.” Throughout the semester, other events hosted by departments across the college will focus on the theme of apocalypse from a wide variety of interdisciplinary approaches.
Learn more about lectures and events featuring the apocalypse theme during the spring 2020 semester.
We hope you take the opportunity to engage in dialogue and discourse about the apocalypse, its impact on our lives, and what we can do to help make the world a better place.