Week / Session 1: The Universe

In this session, we will learn about the universe. We will discuss the origin of the universe, and how stars, galaxies and exoplanets were born. We will take a close look at our Solar System, and discuss the amazing features of individual planets. This session will also touch upon some laws of Physics which are important on the scale of the universe. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, including short exercises about the content and a small experiment.

Week / Session 2: Geology

In this session, we will learn all about the planet we live on. We will discuss the timeline of Earth and how our planet changed over the billions of years it has been around. We will discuss the structure of the Earth and how plate tectonics lead to earth quakes and volcanoes. We will take a close look at the weather on Earth in present, past, and future. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, including short exercises about the content and group discussions.

Week / Session 3: Quantum Physics and Chemistry

In this lesson, we will learn about elementary particles, which ones there are and how they make up everything around us. We will discuss how atoms can form into molecules and discuss laws of physics which work on a subatomic scale. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, including short exercises about the content and a small experiment.

Week / Session 4: Evolution

In this session, we will learn how life started on Earth. From there, we will follow the route of evolution and discover how it led to the enormous variety of species which have been present on the Earth. We will see how species evolved - or became extinct - and ultimately how humans have evolved. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, including short exercises about the content and small group discussions on the future of humanity.

Week / Session 5: Genetics and diversity

In this lesson, we will learn everything about the genetic code of life: DNA. We will discover how DNA contains the information to make the proteins which are essential in your body. We will dive into how the DNA can be changed over generations and causes diversity of a species. Finally we will discuss revolutionary techniques to modify organisms. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, including short exercises about the content and small group discussions.

Week / Session 6: Human body and medicine

In this session, we will learn how the human body develops, and the organs and structures which are present in the human body. We will discuss different diseases, how they are caused and how they can be prevented. We will learn how our own immune system can prevent us from getting sick, and how sometimes our immune system is not working optimally. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, including short exercises about the content and small group discussions.

Week / Session 7: Neuroscience

In this session, we will learn how our brain influences our every move, and how our brain detects all our experiences and can store this information. We will discuss how the brain is build up and how individual brain cells work together. Finally we will discuss how the brain is involved in learning and memory. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, including short exercises about the content and if conditions allow a small demonstration.

Week / Session 8: Maths and computers

In this session, we will discuss the history and important discoveries in mathematics. We will learn how computers work, and how complex systems are used to develop an artificial intelligence. We will talk about how AI helps us to live our lives, and how this will influence our future. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, including short exercises about the content and small group discussion.

Week / Session 9: Applied sciences

We will take a look how the knowledge of different sciences has impacted and improved modern life. We will learn how electricity and magnetism works, and how the combination of electricity and magnetism is used in different modern techniques. We will look at different types of transport, and how transport has changed in the past, present and how it might look in our future. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, including short exercises about the content and small group discussion.

Week / Session 10: Scientific breakthroughs

In this session, we will discuss what it takes to be a scientist. We will look at some of the most impactful scientists and how their work has changed our understanding of the world around us. We will discuss together which field of science has made the most progress, and which fields are very promising to further advance human life in the future. The session will be a digital tutor-led slide lecture, and an extended discussion in small groups.

Your tutor will be Dr Linda van Keimpema who is an education teaching fellow in the Faculty of Medicine of Imperial College London.

She has a PhD, for which she investigated molecular neuroscience, and she has taught biology, physics, mathematics and other science-related topics at VU University in Amsterdam and at Kaplan International College in London.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/l.van-keimpema 

Rate Categories and Discounts

Standard Rate

• Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category, respectively.

Internal Rate

• Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
• People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
• Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes
• Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music
• Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School

Associate Rate

• Austrian Cultural Forum staff
• City & Guilds College Association members
• Co-operative College members
• Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
• Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
• Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
• Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
• Friends of the Royal College of Music
• Harrods staff
• Historic Royal Palaces staff
• Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
• Members of the Friends of Imperial College
• Members of the Kennel Club
• Members of the London Zoological Society
• Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
• Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• National Health Service (NHS) employees
• Natural History Museum staff
• Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
• Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music tutors and other staff
• Royal Geographical Society staff
• Science Museum staff
• Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
• Students (non-Imperial College)
• Teachers and other staff of UK schools
• Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
• Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
• Victoria and Albert Museum staff

Late enrolment

It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.

Friends and Family Scheme

This course is eligible for the  allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.

Web enrolment opens on 1st March 2023

Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:

• Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
• If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.

When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:

• Questions regarding the content and teaching of this course should be sent to the tutor, Dr Linda van Keimpema, l.van-keimpema@imperial.ac.uk

• Questions about your enrolment and payment should be sent to the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk