Ever Since Darwin

Ever Since Darwin is a Natural Science course taught by Lynn Miller.

This course satisfies Division I requirements.

Course Description
Humans vary: some short, some tall; some fat, some thin; some prolific, some nearly or completely sterile; some clever, others dull; some successful and others failures. How much of this variation is due to variation in the genes, how much due to different environments, and how much due to developmental variation - not coded for or predetermined? Although this question has been studied ever since Darwin, many molecular biologists, geneticists, and "evolutionary psychologists" (as they term themselves), have concluded that it's all in the genes. However, no genes have been found that affect most of the variations listed above. Why have so many become so hereditarian in outlook? In this seminar we will read a tiny fraction of the recent literature on the attempts of some to "geneticize" everything from children's alleged dislike of spinach to various addictions to "brain modules" evolved on the African savannah. The principal texts are Lewontin's The Triple Helix and Moore's The Dependent Gene. All students are expected to pick a single topic of interest to them and to write a series of essays on that topic from the original literature. All students are expected to participate in the seminar, to write three essays from the original literature, and to lead one seminar. During the seminar we will spend time thinking and working on the skills needed for successful college-level work: reading, study habits, seminar skills, and writing.

Learning Goals

 * Project-based
 * Presenting
 * Quantitative
 * Reading
 * Writing