THAT WACKY ACADEMIA

Some courses just defy explanation. Here's a look at some of the most original among this year's offerings, ranging from the mildly intriguing to the purely puzzling. We have even provided some snippets of official description. Each of the following courses are really in the Courses of Instruction (trust us; we couldn't make all this stuff up even if we tried). Some of them might actually be worth checking out:

Historical Study A-42. Nation, State, and Empire in West Eurasian Space: Where Romanov Writ Has Run (1613-1991)

Literature and Arts A-18. Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood

Literature and Arts B-35. The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent: Art, Architecture, and Ceremonial at the Ottoman Court

Science B-30. Reproductive Biology: "Reproductive biology of the human organism is emphasized..."

Eliot House Seminar 124. The Salem Witchcraze of 1692

Quincy House Seminar 121. A History of Zoos: "What challenges face the zoos of today?"

Astronomy 14. The Universe and Everything

Biology 143. Biology of the Fungi: "Students learn how to collect, isolate, and identify a variety of fungi."

Biology 167. Herpetology

Celtic 130. Introduction to Scottish Gaelic

Latin 110. Neronian Literature

Economics 1030. Delay of Gratification

Economics 1380. The World Food Economy