Taking it further
Join the debate
Ask your questions - and discover other's opinions - with our Darwin forum.
Evolution on your wall
The Open University presents a lavish guide to evolution: Order your free Tree Of Life poster.
Related programmes
Want to know more about Darwin and evolution – why not follow the ideas offered by The Open University?
Weblinks
Darwin 200 at the Wellcome Trust
Darwin Now from the British Council
Darwin's complete works - online
Students from Christ's College, Cambridge offer their celebration of Darwin year.
The Royal mail have produced a set of commemorative stamps marking the anniversary.
Books
99% Ape: How evolution adds up
Edited by Jonathan Silvertown, published by the Natural History Museum
Darwin
Adrian Desmond & James R Moore, Penguin
Darwin's Sacred Cause
Adrian Desmond & James R Moore, Allen Lane
Courses
Darwin and evolution (S170)
Charles Darwin’s famous book, 'On the Origin of Species', set out his arguments and evidence for the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. This course explains and explores the science of evolution for those with little or no scientific background.
There are also a wide range of other fields of study which relate to Darwin, evolution and the impact on society of the ideas like his:
Openings courses
Introducing environment (Y161)
If you are particularly interested in the environment, or you want to study a subject where science and technology will feature significantly, this course offers a friendly introduction.
Short courses
Neighbourhood nature (S159)
Wherever you live, be it in a city or the countryside, you will find areas that support a range of wildlife. This course will provide you with basic scientific and observational skills so that you can go into your local neighbourhood to discover the animals and plants in open spaces.
The arts past and present (AA100)
This course introduces you to university-level study in the Arts across a range of subject areas, including history, art history, philosophy, classics, history of science, religious studies, music and English.
Ethics in real life (A181)
This course is designed to guide you through the thickets of ethical decision making. You will consider a range of ethical problems and dilemmas in a range of circumstances.
Exploring science (S104)
This course introduces a variety of topics across the whole field of modern biology, emphasising that it is a science firmly grounded in observation and experiment.
Science starts here (S154)
This course is specifically for those students who have done little or no science in the past and whose maths is rusty (or non-existent!). Through exploring the role that water plays in sustaining life - from the journey of a glass of water in the body to the effects of pollution.
Life in the oceans: exploring our blue planet (S180)
This course shows you that to understand life in the oceans we need to consider not just marine biology, but also geology, chemistry and physics; the shape of the ocean basins, the chemistry of seawater, and ocean tides and currents all play crucial roles in shaping the marine environment.
Fossils and the history of life (S193 )
This course will give you a basic understanding of fossils and an overview of the history of life. It will enable you to explain how organisms become fossilised, help you to identify the common fossils you are likely to find, and show you where they fit into the story of evolution.
Level 2 courses
These courses are suitable for students who have studied up to first year university level (not for new students):
From Enlightenment to Romanticism c.1780-1830 (A207)
This is an interdisciplinary course involving study of art history, literature, history, music, philosophy, religious studies and history of science.
Philosophy and the human situation (A211)
This course is a basic introduction to philosophy, divided into six books, complete with readings and exercises. It provides a foundation for further study in the subject and also teaches a number of skills that can be applied usefully in other academic disciplines.
Medicine and society in Europe 1500-1930 (A218)
This course provides a fascinating introduction to the last five centuries of Western medical history.
Biology: uniformity and diversity (S204)
This course introduces a variety of topics across the whole field of modern biology, emphasising that it is a science firmly grounded in observation and experiment.
Environmental science (S216)
This wide-ranging course draws together biology, chemistry, Earth science and physics. This will help students develop a holistic approach encompassing the processes, links, interactions and feedback mechanisms that operate within different environments.
Our dynamic planet: Earth and life (S279)
This course explores the structure of the Earth, from its core to the atmosphere, and investigates how the Earth system works from a geological perspective.
Level 3 courses
For students who have studied biology up to 2nd year university level:
Evolution (S366)
This course gives a broad treatment of both the biological and the palaeontological aspects of evolution, and so will be particularly rewarding to anyone who has an interest in life, earth or environmental sciences.
If you’d like to explore the natural world as well as the one we have built, why not take it further?
Content last updated: 24/10/2008
