Why Biology Matters: Basic Concepts (FutureLearn)

Why Biology Matters: Basic Concepts (FutureLearn)

Improve your understanding of the complex biology behind social issues that affect each of us and society. We often read news stories based on biology that we don’t understand well enough to form an opinion about.

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To be able to interpret complex biological concepts - genetic determinism, cloning, genetic engineering, the fight against ageing, eugenics, artificial selection or intelligence inheritance - we need knowledge that we may not have.
That’s where this online course can help. It provides a basic introduction to the biology behind these ideas, - using lessons and interviews with experts - so that you can understand the implications of them for the fields of the social sciences and humanities.

What topics will you cover?

  • Life, the basics
  • DNA information for life
  • Genome in action
  • How evolution works
  • Humans in nature

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Apply scientific knowledge to the human being
  • Explain the implications of the fact that we are a biological species
  • Critically evaluate information that reaches us through the media
  • Develop a scientifically based criterion of aspects with a biological basis, avoiding misleading, unfounded opinions
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