Hi, I'm your biology instructor, Scott Hatfield. Like you, I am a product of natural history, a living thing. Like you, I'm made of matter and I use available energy to keep myself alive, to grow and to pass on information.
Many students like to know why we study biology. The simplest answer I can give is that our biology helps make us what we are. We are members of the same species, but we share common descent with every other species both living and extinct. The more we understand about other living things, the better we understand ourselves and our environment, a fancy word for the place where you and I live.
The more we learn, the more we appreciate and value ourselves and other living things. In particular, you may come to share my view that the 21st century is truly the most exciting time in the history of our species; it will carry with it the greatest of opportunities and the most perilous of risks. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to be your guide in developing your understanding of natural history. |
