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.

Mount Holyoke first-year students only, by placement.