Lecture A1 (2022-01-11): Course Introduction

In this first lecture of the semester, we discuss the course policies, motivation, and topic outline. We then start to discuss modeling in general -- leading up to a simple definition of a "model" as a tool for answering a "What If" question. The unavoidable modeling degrees of freedom may be open for misuse, even inadvertent. That said, "reality" is not the goal of modeling. All models are wrong, but good models (even if wrong) are crafted to be illuminating and useful; their lack of reality can actually make them more generalizable.