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Many controversial health claims have entered the public consciousness over the years. Claims made by popular media are often conflicting and it can be difficult to trust their validity without directly examining their sources: data produced in scientific journals. However, the unfamiliar structure and technical jargon of these publications often act as a roadblock to understanding. This course aims to introduce common research methods and approaches and provide strategies for approaching research articles and interpreting their results using popular scientific topics as examples. Students will examine the biochemistry behind controversial topics such as CBD supplements, dieting, and gene editing and more importantly, build the skills to determine for themselves the validity of some of the many claims that enter the public consciousness.