Bi 1 | The Great Ideas of Biology (2026)

“So much of science proceeds by telling stories.” — Stephen Jay Gould

About

Biological processes take place across an incredible range of spatial and temporal scales, from subcellular signal transduction events (\(t \sim 10^{-9} \textrm{ s}\), \(l \sim 10^{-10} \textrm{ m}\)) to the dynamics of whole ecosystems (\(l \sim 10^{5} \textrm{ m}\)) and the evolution of life (\(t \sim 10^{16} \textrm{ s}\)). This course is your invitation to explore the rich variety of natural phenomena underlying life on Earth. We’ll tour everything from the continent-crossing migrations of whales and wildebeest to the thermodynamics of genes and cells — with special emphasis on opportunities where quantitative tools, real data, and modern methodology can sharpen our thinking.

Where and When?

Each week will consist of two lectures, recitation sections, and office hours.

Lectures

Day	Time	Place
Tuesday	1:00pm – 2:25pm	Broad 100
Thursday	1:00pm – 2:25pm	Broad 100

Recitations

Day	Time	Place	TAs
Wednesday	5:00pm – 6:00pm	Chen 100	Albert & Sara

Office Hours

Day	Time	Place	TAs
Monday	10:00am – 11:00am	Outside Red Door	Karen