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Evolution: One Long Argument
Course Introduction
It’s easy to imagine that the title of this course refers to the social controversy that has surrounded the theory of evolution since the publication of The Origin of Species in 1860. But that's only part of it, Darwin himself used the words "one long argument" to describe the work he had done in The Origin of Species. In the introduction to the book, Darwin wrote, "As this whole volume is one long argument, it may be convenient to the reader to have the leading facts and inferences briefly recapitulated."
In The Origin Of Species Darwin proved himself to be not only a persuasive writer, but also a thorough and imaginative scientist. He knew his ideas would be controversial so he built a case that has not only stood the test of time, but that is still useful to biologists working in the field today. In other words, The Origin of Species stands among the great works of science.
This course traces the history of evolutionary ideas using the development of Darwin's theory and The Origin of Species as the scaffolding for our current understanding. In the course you will examine the vast amount of evidence that has accumulated in support of evolution. You will learn using tools ranging from biological simulation software to an interactive mapping application can be used to trace the Voyage of the Beagle. That voyage not only launched Darwin's career as a scientist, it also led him to ideas that could not be explained using the accepted scientific thinking of the time.
And this course will help you understand how science works. The examination of an easily understood, but controversial, scientific theory will help you understand how scientific methods and theories are created and applied. It will help you learn how science works.
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