The Puzzle of Life

Catalog description

What is Life? Is it a substance, a structure, a process? Is a living organism merely a complex machine? What is the "language" of life, the information that underlies the acquisition of forms, movement and growth in the living? This course will seek to provide some answers to these fundamental questions. It will look into the past through the lens of the history and philosophy of science to outline the main conceptual frameworks that characterize life. The course will trace how biology became an autonomous discipline within the natural sciences at the beginning of the 19th century, how it moved away from vitalism and became increasingly grounded in physics and chemistry, and how it now investigates the emergence of complexity with the help of computational sciences. We will dive into the origins of life, its organization, dynamics, persistence, adaptation and evolution. Designed for those without extensive technical backgrounds, the course features interactive classes, readings, films, and a field trip to showcase the beauty, diversity and complexity of life. Ultimately, its aim is to foster a deep sense of wonder about the living world.