Santa Fe Institute Courses

What is Evolutionary Theory? - Origins, Structure, and Modern Understanding

Explore the origins, structure, and modern understanding of evolutionary theory, including its deep problems and unique scientific challenges.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 39 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Hobbit of Flores Island: Brain Evolution and Intelligence in Miniature Humans

Explore the discovery of Homo floresiensis, a miniature human species from Indonesia, and its implications for brain evolution and intelligence in human ancestors.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 9 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Genetically Modified Foods - Monsters or Miracles?

Explore the science, history, and controversies surrounding genetically modified foods, examining their potential benefits and risks for global food security and environmental impact.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 34 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Jumping Genome - Changing Ideas about Heredity and Evolution

Explore the evolution of genetics, from Mendel's pea experiments to modern genomics, including McClintock's revolutionary "jumping gene" discovery and its impact on our understanding of heredity and evolution.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 17 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

How Plants See, Feel, and Smell - The Perceptual Apparatus of the Plant

Explore the fascinating sensory world of plants, from their perception of light and touch to their responses to gravity and chemicals in the environment.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 8 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

More than You Know - Finding Financial Wisdom in Unconventional Places

Explore how diverse disciplines like sports, biology, and history can enhance decision-making skills, particularly in investing and personal growth.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 3 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Forecasting Natural Disasters in Complex Earth Systems - SFI Lecture

Explore forecasting natural disasters using satellite data, nonlinear dynamics, and numerical simulations. Learn about ensemble forecasting and pattern methods for predicting extreme events.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 9 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Stylish Mathematics: Quantifying Artistic Style Through Computation

Explore the intersection of mathematics and art through computational analysis of style in literature, visual arts, and dance, with applications in authentication and quantification of artistic expression.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 25 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why Barry Bonds is Better at Hitting Home Runs - Neural Circuit Scalability

Explore the neural basis of exceptional athletic performance, focusing on how brain region size and specialization contribute to elite skills in sports like baseball.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 29 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Peculiar Logic of Human Values

Explore the conceptualization of human value systems, including types, subjectivity vs. objectivity, and their impact on behavior and social interactions.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 27 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Practice Makes Perfect - Learning from Massive Data

Explore how computers learn from massive data to perform tasks like spelling correction and translation, rivaling human capabilities through example-based learning.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 17 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

A Cooperative Species: Why Policies Designed for "Wicked Men" Fail - Part 3

Explore how ethical dispositions and cooperative motivations impact societal challenges, challenging Machiavelli's approach and examining the interplay between policy and human behavior.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 41 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

A Cooperative Species - Altruism, Parochialism, and War

Explore how war and hostility may have shaped human morality through computer simulations of alternative historical trajectories, challenging our understanding of altruism and cooperation.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 40 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

A Cooperative Species - Evolutionary Origins of Human Altruism - Lecture 1

Explore the evolutionary origins of altruistic cooperation, challenging traditional notions of 'selfish genes' and Homo economicus through archaeological, genetic, and climatic evidence.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 35 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Post-Darwinian World - Expanding Darwin's Theories in Modern Science

Explore post-Darwinian complexities in biology, economics, and politics, examining ecosystems, food webs, origin of life, HIV/AIDS, and sociobiology to expand on Darwin's evolutionary theories.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 59 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video