COURSE INTRODUCTION

WHY ARE YOU HERE??

Science matters!
  As INFORMED citizens of a democracy, you need to know about science.

Thomas Jefferson said, "a nation that expects to be ignorant and free, expects what neither can or will be." Jefferson was a
    naturalist, scientist and plain 'ole' curious person.
He, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were immersed in The Enlightenment, and they incorporated their thinking into the formation
    of our country.

Digression:
Biology, like any other science, seeks to explain the natural world based on material evidence derived from natural phenomena.
  Science is a way of doing, and a way of thinking.

Science is about curiosity.
 Every kid who's ever turned over a rock to see what's underneath has done science. Every so called primitive culture that's
   ever improved a native plant or discovered an herbal cure has done science.
 
 Important contemporary issues require familiarity with science in general and biology in particular .
        Those issues may require DECISIONS, that YOU will have to make.
   You need to know about the facts and the PROCESS of science.

Let's take a look at some practical reasons for learning about biology.   Some examples....

Emerging infectious diseases like AIDS, Ebola, bird flu
  Where did they come from?

Global warming. Is it real? Is it already affecting weather, organisms? YES

Evolution.
  Is it 'just a theory'? Yes, but in the scientific sense, not the popular meaning. A theory in science is an explanation
   backed by reams of data. The cell theory is another example, as is the germ theory of disease. Very few people fail to immunize their
    children against diseases because the germ theory is 'just a theory'. Evolution is every bit as good a theory as the cell theory and the
    germ theory. In fact, it subsumes the other two because it explains such things as the origin of cell structures and processes, and how
    new diseases,  like AIDS and bird flu, arise.
     What are the latest observations on the origin of humans? What does paleontology have to say? Gene sequences?
     Which primates are we most closely related to genetically?  (chimpanzees, bonobos)

Right now, evolution is the only SCIENTIFIC explanation for how current life got here. That is, there is lots of material evidence drawn
   from the natural world to back it up.
And, it does not rely on a supernatural explanation, which science cannot deal with. By it's very definition, supernatural means it's beyond natural, which means we have no experimental means to detect it. If an explanation invokes a supernatural cause, science can't deal with it. It's out of bounds. That's not to say a supernatural explanation isn't true. It just means science can't rely on it because we can't assess or test it. That's why evolution is the only SCIENTIFIC explanation for life on earth. And yes, it's a theory, but in the scientific sense, not the popular sense. Like the cell theory or the germ theory of disease, only even stronger.

Biotechnology. What are the advantages/dangers of genetically modified foods? What do the facts say?

Stem cells. What are embryonic stem cells? How do they differ from adult stem cells? Do plants have stem cells?

Human cloning. Is it possible? Likely?

How important is it for you to have a good BALONEY FILTER?



TO BE CONTINUED....