Through this course we will explore a number of Scientific claims that influence our everyday lives and discuss some of the available research to decide if we believe these claims to be fully, partially, or no longer correct or relevant. We will consider the evidence used in our research to determine if we trust the sources used and think they are reliable, or if we think we should discount them. Be prepared for lots of discussion and sharing of thoughts and ideas.

Section 1 – An introduction
In the initial lesson, we will use various sources to highlight discrepancies in information gleaned from the internet, in order to hone our research skills, in preparation for the next part of the course– you will need a questioning and enquiring mind; one that is not satisfied to just accept the information you read.

Section 2 – Science in our everyday lives
You are probably aware of statements such as the number of hours of sleep different groups of people should get, the duration of exercise they should do, and how much fruit and vegetables they should consume each day. In this section we will explore each of these areas, in addition to gut microbiome, dental hygiene and forest bathing, to research the Science behind them. During this section there will be the opportunity to keep a weekly diary based on the topic of the previous lesson, to share with the group in the next lesson, and the chance to investigate the need for “10,000 steps a day” through the mid-course assessment.

Section 3 – Antibiotics
In this final section, we will study the need for antibiotics and the problem of antibiotic resistance; as antibiotic resistance is such a huge threat to our everyday lives. The end of course assessment will relate back to Section 2, with a focus on the use of smartphones/ smart watches to enable us to capture data about our everyday lives.