Brain in a Vat (Part 1)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam explains his "brain in a vat" theory. This theory calls into question basic human assumptions about knowledge and reality on the grounds that we have no way of knowing if what we think we see an..
Brain in a Vat (Part 2)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam discusses problems with using any form of the brain in a vat argument for skeptical purposes. The biggest problem he cites is that the brain in a vat argument itself requires that many of our as..
Branches on the tree of life: the biology of algae
The term algae is a catchall for several evolutionary lines of photosynthetic organisms: dinoflagellates: red algae (plastids with chlorophyll A); diatoms, yellow-brown algae and brown algae (chlorophylls A and C); and g..
Branches on the tree of life: the biology of annelids
Worms with segmented bodies make up the Phylum Annelida. This program explores the three classes of annelids: Class Polychaeta (feeding, locomotion, and larval stages), Class Oligochaeta (lifestyles, feeding adaptations..
Branches on the tree of life: the biology of arthropods
Phylum Arthropoda is the most luxuriant branch on the tree of life. This program covers phylum characteristic and three major arthropod classes: Crustaceans (copepods, waterfleas, branchiopods, decapods, and barnacles),..
Branches on the tree of life: the biology of bacteria
This program uses compelling microscopy of living bacteria to examine their structure, physiology, behavior, and the vital roles these microbes play in the biosphere, including oxygen production (cyanobacteria), decompos..
Branches on the tree of life: the biology of chordates
The Phylum Chordata includes tunicates, sea lancelets, hagfish, and all familiar vertebrate animals. This program explores how these seemingly diverse animals evolved and how the group is unified by four characteristic s..
Branches on the tree of life: the biology of cnidarians
"Cnidarians" begins with a remarkable series of observations on Hydra including: habitat, structure, feeding, nematocyst discharge, locomotion (by looping), and its sexual and asexual reproductive strategies. Obelia illu..
Branches on the tree of life: the biology of echinoderms
Echinoderms are one branch of the deuterostome line of animal evolution, the branch to which Chordates also belong. Modules cover phylum characteristics and key biological details for five classes: sea stars; brittle st..
Branches on the tree of life: the biology of flatworms
The Branches On the Tree of Life series of core curriculum programs explores the "deep branches" on the tree of life to reveal a modern view of the classification and phylogeny of each group studied in the biology curric..