Human Evolution
When Ancient Minds & the 21st Century Collide
About the Course
Human Evolution: When Ancient Minds & the 21st Century Collide is a live four-week course on evolution, the process that shaped the entire living world.
We’ll explore the story of humanity: our evolutionary past, our modern world, and our looming future. We’ll ask what happens when our evolved bodies and minds encounter abundant food, sexual liberation, social media, rampant inequality, life extension, and artificial intelligence.
By the end of this course, you’ll better understand the human condition and its relationship with modernity.
About the Course
Human Evolution: When Ancient Minds & the 21st Century Collide is a live four-week course on evolution, the process that shaped the entire living world.
We’ll explore the story of humanity: our evolutionary past, our modern world, and our looming future. We’ll ask what happens when our evolved bodies and minds encounter abundant food, sexual liberation, social media, rampant inequality, life extension, and artificial intelligence.
By the end of this course, you’ll better understand the human condition and its relationship with modernity.
About your instructor
Professor Rob Brooks
Course structure
The course consists of four 90-minute classes and takes place in our virtual classroom over Zoom.
It is a live and interactive course, which features:
- Assigned readings,
- Live lectures,
- Live Q&A sessions with the instructor,
- and Zoom breakout rooms with your intellectually curious classmates.
Can’t make the live classes? No dramas! All lessons are recorded and accessible forever.
To maintain an optimal learning environment, classes are kept small — so be quick in securing your spot!
Lecture Schedule
- Week 1 | Improvement Algorithms:
- From Natural Selection to Machine Learning
- Week 2 | The Past Shapes the Future:
- From Obesity to Inequality to Social Media
- Week 3 | Why is Sex so Complicated and Why Technology Makes it More So
- Week 4 | You Evolved to Get Old. What if You Want to Live Forever?
What You'll Learn
The Basics
Interaction
Relations
Condition
Course dates
November 2022
Class Dates
All classes run from 6.00 PM AEDT to 7.30 PM AEDT
• Week 1: Wed 2 November, 2022
• Week 2: Wed 9 November, 2022
• Week 3: Wed 16 November, 2022
• Week 4: Wed 23 November, 2022