CORE 122 - Spring 2009 Life in the Universe: A Cosmic Perspective Instructor: Prof. Thomas J.

Balonek Office: 407 Ho Labs: 406 & 404 Ho OFFICE HOURS: M 1:30 - 2:30; T 2:00 - 4:00; W 1:30 - 2:30, 4:00 - 5:00; or by appointment Phone: 228-7767 email: tbalonek@mail.colgate.edu (or Tom Balonek) CLASS HOURS: M W 2:45 - 4:00, room 238 Ho BOOKS TO BUY FOR THIS COURSE: 1. Life in the Universe , 2nd edition, Jeffrey Bennett and Seth Shostak (BS) 2. Contact With Alien Civilizations: Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials , Michael A.G. Michaud (MM) 3. Fresh Perspectives on the H.G. Wells Classic The War of the Worlds , H.G. Wells 4. Contact , Carl Sagan ADDITIONAL READINGS: Many additional books and articles that will be useful for research and discussion are located in Cooley Science Library, and a few in Case-Geyer Library . See also the course blackboard site CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION: This class will be run primarily as a seminar course, with short lectures (usually at the beginning of class) to supplement the readings. We will not rehash the reading material, but will draw upon this material in our discussion -- so readings must be done before class. Class attendance, conscientious completion of reading assignments and classroom participation is an important part of your learning and will constitute a significant part of your grade. Attendance will be taken. Absence from more than three classes will result in a grade penalty. (The only excused absences are: religious holidays, family illnesses, and extended illness requiring medical treatment.) MOVIES: Required movie screening is scheduled for four nights during the semester and indicted in the syllabus. For those students who have occasional conflicts, the movies will also be shown after Wednesdays class at 4:10 pm. Attendance will be taken. Additional, non-required movies and Ho Tung Visualization Laboratory shows may be scheduled during the semester. QUESTIONS: You are required to submit a question for discussion prior to each class . Questions must be submitted by email (to Tom Balonek or tbalonek) by 11 a.m. on the day of the class. Be prepared to lead a short five to ten minute discussion based upon your question. SHORT PAPERS: Short papers (one to two pages) will be assigned most weeks, due Monday at the start of class. These papers will be graded on the basis on content, persuasiveness of argument, and clarity of writing. GROUP RESEARCH PROJECT: Groups of three students will conduct research on a topic of their choice from a selection provided by the instructor. The group report will consist of an annotated bibliography (including books, serials, and web-resources) with brief summaries of the content of the resource and evaluation of how the material is relevant to the research topic. All students will receive the same grade assigned to the group report. FINAL EXAM RESEARCH PAPER: A critical evaluation paper based upon the independent study done by the student as part of a small group research project discussed above. The paper will be written on a computer without notes (!) in the two hour scheduled final exam time. A five minute PowerPoint presentation will be made to the entire class during the second last week of the semester. QUIZZES: Short quizzes may be given during Wednesday classes based upon the readings of that week.

CORE 122: LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE: A COSMIC PERSPECTIVE

TOPIC M Jan 19 20 minute class (organization) W 21 What questions must we address to answer the question Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? READINGS -BS preface (ix-xvii) BS Ch 1 (1-15) MM 1-8

W M W W

21 7:00 - 8:00 pm Orson Welles Radio Play The War of the Worlds (60 minutes) 26 Early (and Recent) Thoughts on the Plurality of Worlds 28 Lowells Legacy - Canals on Mars The War of the Worlds BS Ch 2 (16-47) MM 9-24 BS Ch 7 (261-264) Wells introduction (1-13) Wells: Book One (17-100)

28 7:00 - 8:30 pm movie: The War of the Worlds, 1953 version (85 minutes) BS Ch 3 (48-70) MM 25-32 Wells: Book Two (101-152) & essays (selected from 153-292)

M Feb 2 Origin, Content and Scale of the Universe; A Biological Universe? W W M M 4 The War of the Worlds

4 7:00 - 9:00 pm movie: The War of the Worlds, 2005 Tom Cruise version (120 minutes) 9 ** GROUP RESEARCH PROJECT SELECTION DUE IN CLASS ** 9 The Nature of Other Worlds BS Ch 2 (70-98) MM 58-67 Sagan Ch 1-3 BS Ch 11 (359-369; 388-393) BS Ch 11 (369-388; 393-397) Sagan Ch 4-6 BS Ch 4 (99-120) BS Ch 4 (120-147) Sagan Ch 7-9 BS Ch 5 (148-189) MM 68-76

W M W M W

11 We are "StarStuff": Life and Death of Stars and Planets 16 Modern Methods for Detecting Other Solar Systems The Nature of Extrasolar Planets 18 Geological History of Earth 23 Geology and Habitability of Earth 25 What is Life?

M-F 2-6 ** GROUP RESEARCH PROGRESS REPORTS MEET WITH PROFESSOR ** M Mar 2 The Origin of Life on Earth BS Ch 6 (190-206) Sagan Ch 10-12

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4 Evolution of Life on Earth 9 Life in Extreme Environments; Is Life Common or Rare in the Universe? Exploration of Our Solar System 11 MIDTERM EXAM 16 ** MIDTERM RECESS ** 18 ** MIDTERM RECESS **

BS Ch 6 (206-234) MM 77-88 BS Ch 5 (178-181) BS Ch 7 (235-242) BS Ch 7 (242-259)

W M W M W M W

23 Full Dome Shows: Ho Tung Visualization Lab (401 Ho) Sagan Ch 13-15 25 The Search for Life on Mars (Roving and Probing Mars); BS Ch 8 (260-294) The Martian Meteorite; Future Exploration of Mars BS Ch 7 (190-202) 30 Those Intriguing Jovian Satellites BS Ch 9 (295-327) Sagan Ch 16-18

1 ** GROUP RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT DUE IN CLASS ** BS Ch 10 (328-343) review BS Ch 11 (384-388)

W Apr 1 What Makes a Habitable Planet? Habitability in Other Solar Systems M

6 The Future of Life on Earth; Astronomical Catastrophes; BS Ch 10 (343-358) Rare Earth? MM 94-110 Sagan Ch 19-21 8 The Drake Equation; The Evolution of Intelligence 13 SETI (The Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence) BS Ch 12 (398-410) MM 54-57; 111-112 BS Ch 12 (410-436) MM 33-53; 113-121 MM 122-142; 358-376 Sagan Ch 22-24 BS Ch 13 (437-456) BS Ch 13 (456-476) MM 89-93;162-201

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15 Interplanetary and Interstellar Travel Where Are They? The Fermi Paradox

M W M M W W

20 STUDENT PRESENTATIONS OF RESEARCH PROJECTS 22 STUDENT PRESENTATIONS OF RESEARCH PROJECTS 27 The Consequences of Contact 27 7:00 - 9:45 pm movie: Contact (165 minutes) 29 ** SUBMIT FIGURES, QUOTATIONS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR FINAL DUE IN CLASS ** 29 Our Place in the Universe: Religious, Social & Philosophical Implications of Extra-Terrestrial Life BS Epilogue (477-485) MM 202-207 selections from MM 208-357

M May 4 3:00-5:00 pm -- FINAL EXAM -- Writing of Research Paper