This course is about how computers work, and the way computing, whether on a computer, a laptop, a tablet, a phone, your car, or many another devices, works for us, and continues to change the world. You will see some beautiful, and some troubling, manifestations of computing, and their effects on people's lives.

This course is also about the more technical ``Big Ideas'' of computing, such as the basic elements of programs and algorithms. Simply using a computing device or thinking about its applications is only part of the big picture. Learning how to program a computer---that is, how to translate ideas into code a computer can understand---is an empowering experience. This course will introduce you to programming in a simple subset of the computer language \textsc{Java}. Although the programs you will write may be built on code provided to you, and are substantially smaller than production applications or other professional software, writing these (partial) programs will give you a personal understanding of the way big computer systems work.

Given that background, we will ask whether, and how, computing professionals can alleviate the troubling manifestations. Because developments in computing are rapid and broad in their effects, current news and events will play a part in lessons. This semester, we will explore a particular theme connected with Internet issues---damage done by viruses---with a classic novel as a resource.

This course fulfills the First-Year Seminar (FYS) requirement of the 2015 University Studies Program. Students will critically examine and evaluate evidence, claims, beliefs, or points of view about meaningful, relevant issues related to computing. Students will be introduced to active learning, inquiry into pressing issues, and individual and collaborative processing of ideas through the First-Year Seminar curriculum.