First-Year Seminars 110BC - Biology of Social Issues

This seminar teaches basic biological principles;that affect important, complex and;often-controversial social issues. We will;challenge ourselves to think beyond our comfort;zones, exploring difficult questions in topics;such as medical and scientific ethics, aging,;gender in society and biology, climate change,;conservation, evolution and religion, genetic;engineering, and fertility. We will explore how;our personal beliefs affect our understanding of;biological facts, and will study how press;coverage can vary from original published;scientific studies. We will discuss in class and;reflect in writing, developing both the critical;thinking skills and the basic biological;knowledge of well-informed citizens.

First-year students only, by placement.