UP to hold free biology lectures on 'Pokemon,' ‘Attack on Titan,’ 'Demon Slayer,' and more
Calling all anime and science lovers! You can now get to experience the best of both worlds as the University of the Philippines Diliman will be holding free biology lectures focusing on your favorite anime series.
The UP Diliman’s Institute of Biology is set to hold a two-week lecture series that will delve into topics related to pop culture as part of its Biology 196 course. You don't have to worry about transportation and fees as all lectures will be held free via Zoom and are open to the public.
Among these is an undergraduate lecture for Attack on Titan fans dubbed Beyond the Walls: Examining the Biology of the Titans in Shingeki no Kyojin by John Aaron Aduan which will be held on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.
Fan of Demon Slayer? Get to know more about wisteria—a powerful plant in the series used to trap, paralyze, and fend off demons—in the lecture dubbed Bane of Blossoms happening on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. You can register for the lecture to be facilitated by Jan Louis De Guzman here.
Explore genetics through the lens of the video game Stardew Valley in the lecture by Ms. Elizabeth Rae Peralta on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, you can learn more about Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in the life of Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum in the lecture titled Gene-rations to be discussed by Jules Christian Sendiong on Dec. 19 at 6 p.m.
Besides anime, there will be also a lecture series focusing on the world of clumsy-turned-masterful martial artist Po and his friends from Kung Fu Panda. Dubbed The Furry-ous Five: The Biology Behind Kung Fu Panda’s Martial Masters, the discussion will be led by Maxine Khu on Dec. 19 at 6 p.m.
Additionally, there will be a discussion about The Beauty and the Beast which will dive into the flora species of Vanda, Rafflesia, and Strongylodon which will happen on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.
Prior to this, they also held lectures about The Whimsical Life of Studio Ghibli that look into characters from Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away, among others; as well as K-pop which focused on parallel mechanisms present both in the industry and drug addiction.