The Meaning of Life: Experimenting with the History of Biology in Woods Hole

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course, taught on-site at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole Massachusetts, examines early twentieth century biology through hands-on recreations of classic experiments. Course undertakings include working with organisms like sea urchins, starfish, hydras, slipper snails, and plankton; fieldwork in local beaches, ponds, and marshes; laboratory experimentation using early twentieth century equipment; and close readings of historical sources in early twentieth-century experimental biology. By the end of this course, students will have gained experiences collecting, identifying, caring for, and working with classic invertebrate model organisms; they will be able to identify and explain key concepts and techniques in biology between 1900 and today; and they will be able to parse historical sources and recreate the knowledge-making strategies that shaped early twentieth century biology.