Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of Evolution This bold statement by the Russian population geneticist T. Dobzhansky emphasizes the importance of evolution as the only unifying concept in biology. Yet, the theory of evolution is more controversial and opposed by more forces in society than any other theory in science. The course will revisit many of these objections and reveal that they are based on reasoning that is incompatible with the principles of science. We will investigate, why it is "Neo-Darwinism" and not "Intelligent Design" that is currently the best supported paradigm for explaining "adaptation." We will then challenge the power of the neo-Darwinian paradigm by asking how seemingly incompatible phenomena like altruism and excessive male ornamentation can possibly be explained by natural selection. We will also study several key events in evolution such as the origin of sex and its numerous consequences and the origin of the human species. We will conclude with discussing the importance of the theory of evolution for understanding cultural evolution ("memes") and human health and senescence ("Darwinian medicine").
Student Reviews
Anonymous AY21/22 Sem 2
About the Instructor
very knowledgeable and very approachable
Content (Structure/Organization)
40% exam, couple of group projects along the way
Accessibility
He explains unfamiliar concepts clearly. some understandings of natural conservation, understanding of evolution
Manageability of Workload
Group projects and individual report can be taxing, so plan accordingly
Ease/Difficulty of Attaining Grades
Prof can be vague in feedback
Learning Value/Recommendation
Great learning value although there wasn't much covered on human evolution which was what everyone might have been more interested in, but prof is an entomologist not a biological anthropologist. The best S&T module
Zachary Wong (@jiacurry) AY19/20 Sem 2
About the Instructor
He likes it to be student-driven, so he would ask questions by students on tuesday before answering them on thursday. He also gives timely feedback and is nice about deadlines.
Content (Structure/Organization)
Learnt about basic evolutionary theories and how they correspond to trends that we can observe in the current era
Manageability of Workload
The great thing is that his deadlines and presentations are really early so it doesn't clash with other submissions ( I guess it is bad for people who like to procrastinate
Ease/Difficulty of Attaining Grades
Generally did quite acceptable for the things she gave us grades for.
Learning Value/Recommendation
It's gr8
jeslyn (@jeslynnnnn) AY19/20 Sem 2
About the Instructor
prof hwang is really nice and approachable and friendly! he's very clear when he teaches and also a very humble person!
Content (Structure/Organization)
if you took H2 Bio, there'll be quite a significant overlap in what you learnt but there's still really interesting concepts being discussed like evolution & religion, cultural evolution, death etc! overall content was really interesting and easy to understand and follow, would recommend to those interested in the topic!
Accessibility
For someone that had 0 prior exposure to such topics along with no idea how to write academic papers, it was very manageable, just make sure that you go in with an open mind
Manageability of Workload
all the assignments are not very science and content based, which might or might not be a good thing.
Assignment 1 - (Pair work) Come up with a tour plan for LKCNHM 15%
Assignment 2 - (Group work) Presentation on evolution in a specific country 15%
Assignment 2 - (Individual) Report on evolution in a specific country 15%
Finals - 3 Essay Questions in 2 hours 30%
Additional Comments/Word of Advice
style of lesson is great. every week prof will collect responses from everyone on what they do not understand and any other questions they have and answer these questions! :)
Venny Lewis (@vennylewis) AY19/20 Sem 2
About the Instructor
Prof Hwang knows and prepares his content very well, and thus is able to answer our 1001 queries. As a student who only studied Biology up till Lower Sec, I am able to understand what he is teaching, and also inspires me to know more about Evolution and Biology as a Science subject. Even though he can be soft, he is not droning (I FEEL), and never once was I sleepy in his class. I love the way he breaks the concepts systematically into structured and digestible point forms, as well as give us a lot of examples to back it up. But the thing with Profs who are good at guiding during lessons is that, you don’t fully know how to apply and do it yourself (at least for me).
Content (Structure/Organization)
You learn about why Evolution even exist as a theory (as an explanation of the ultimate causes of a natural phenomena), and how it came to be the way it is, and what Evolutionary theory actually expounds on, which is natural selection and sexual selection, and Prof uses a lot of examples of living organisms to help back the theory. And later you learn to apply the theory yourself to what you observe.
Manageability of Workload
Very doable! No readings, so you just listen to him lecture in class every lesson, which is not at all boring or traditional! He keeps it engaging, especially when students are also encouraged to ask him questions if he doubts during the lesson itself. You will perhaps feel more busy during the 2 submissions throughout the term, especially because you actually have to ask yourself whether you have understood what he has taught so far, and further apply: a pair assignment (2.5k words) and a group presentation + corresponding individual report (2k words) It takes a while to get the hang of, but the skill and knowledge definitely builds up. I love how the final assessment is also an exam, which is a very refreshing concept for USP mod, and the content is very muggable as well if your read the slides and understand concepts properly.
Additional Comments/Word of Advice
Chill mod to take, but you also learn a lot which is very applicable to real life as well! A more "Artsy" Science mod, apparently.