The Nature of the CourseBrief list of topics
Overview
This course is a one-semester introduction to the various aspects, alternatives, and possibilities for Extraterrestrial Life (ETL) and Interstellar Travel (IST). These topics are, in reality, two entirely different subjects; but the former makes the latter ever so much more interesting! These topics are not conventional academic ddisciplines such as French, Geography, or Mathematics. However, they are both areas of viable scientific and social concern and they both have the capability to drastically alter our views of ourselves and our views of the universe. The demonstration or the "proof" of either could not fail to alter in some way nearly all of our current social and scientific institutions. A course similar to this one clearly has a place on the campuses of all institutions of higher learning.
In this course we will be considering topics such as the nature of life, the nature of intelligence, the physical nature of the universe, the nature and detectability of extrasolar planets, the potential impact of extraterrestrial life on our civilization, prospects for communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence, and prospects for traveling to the stars.
This course is a science course. This course is based on the concepts and precepts and assumptions of the scientific method. Any ideas are eligible for consideration, but for the purposes of this course, topics must be approached using the methods of science. Our criticisms and evaluations of ideas will be based on the methods of science.
This course is a second course in astronomy. It is assumed that students who take this course have previously had a formal descriptive-level introduction to astronomy. To be eligible to take this course, students must have successfully completed a first course in astronomy. At Sonoma State University this prerequisit can be satisfied by the course Astronomy 100 (Descriptive Astronomy). Similar courses at other institutions will also satisfy this requirement. A physical science in high school will not satisfy this prerequisit.
Level and expectations
This course is descriptive in nature, but high school level algebra will be utilized on occasion to demonstrate a key point or to summarize an important concept. This course is a project-based course in which students should expect to spend time each week (both in class and out of class) on projects and group activities which will involve original research with written reports, and oral presentations. There will also be a mid-term project involving the science fiction literature, and a semester project to be developed independently by each class participant.
Group projectsAn important compnent of this course involves group activities and peer learning. Each class participant must belong to a group and contribute to weekly group discussions, projects, and presentations. Reports for group projects and presentations will be published on the class website.
Research and reading
An important component of this course involves independent research. Each student will be expected to research topics related to the course content. Of course, this will involve reading appropriate material. This material may exist in books, in journals, in magazine articles, or in online sources. In addition to material recommended by the instructor, students are expected to identify and read material that they identify independently. Extensive bibliographies of material will be made available. Students are also expected to read the reports published by all student groups.
There are two recommended texts for this course. Students with a serious interest in the subject matter of this course will want to acquire these books.
Life in the Universe by Bennett, Shostak, and Jakosky (Addison Wesley, 2003)The Starflight Handbook by Mallove and Matloff (Wiley, 1989)
Students with specific interests in the subject matter may wish to purchase or obtain additional resources.
Unfortunately, the subject matter for this course has not yet been neatly compiled into one or two textbooks, so resources for much of the course content is available only in technical reports, conference proceedings, journal articles, and various online resources. It is one of the goals of this course to identify such materials and make them available to all class participants.
Quizes -
There will be several quizes. The quizes will consist of objective multiple choice questions. These quizes will be based on questions submitted by individual class participants and student groups.
Web-assisted
This course is a web-assisted course. We will use the World Wide Web (web) for communication and for archiving all course content. Course requirements and assignments will be available only from the web. The instructor's course notes will be on the web, and all student reports and presentations will also be published as part of the course web site. To successfully complete this course you will need to have access to the web.
While it will be most convenient to have web access from you home or dorm room, you may also use any networked computer workstation on the Sonoma State University campus. Indeed, you may use any computer anywhere that has internet access and a web browser. A modern web browser that supports Java and QuickTime is strongly recommended. If you have any choice, American On Line (AOL) is definitely not recommended.
Specifically, we will use the WebCT system as our learning environment. The WebCT system requires a user name and password. User names and passwords will be provided by the instructor.
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Grades will be based on a combination of projects and assignments. Some projects require individual work, while some projects must be conducted in collaboration with a group of class participants. Students should expect to spend time each week conducting research and reading material related to the course content.
Individual or Group
Specific Requirements
Percentage
Individual projects and assignments
semester project
25%
science fiction project
10%
exam questions project
10%
current news project
5%
glossary project
5%
occasional assignments
5%
60%
Group projects
presentations
20%
weekly activities
10%
peer evaluations
10%
40%
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Brief list of topics
- Introductions
- Essential scientific background (a review)
- Drake's formula and von Hoerner's distance
- Extrasolar planets
- Life in the universe
- Interstellar travel
- Hart's time and the colonization of the galaxy
- Fermi's paradox
Expanded list of topics
Introductions
- Some definitions
- The history of an idea
- A contemporary perspective
Essential scientific background (a review)
- The scientific method
- The nature of matter
- Forces and motion
- The nature of light (electromagnetic radiation)
- Origin and evolution of the universe
- Galaxies
- Stars
- Nebulae
- Planets
Drake's formula and von Hoerner's distance
- Stars and astrogenic environments
- Planets and planetary habitability
- The nature and origins of life on Earth
- Evolution and intelligence
- Sociology and civilization
- The lifetime of technological civilizations
- The number of technological civilizations in the galaxy
Extrasolar planets
- Some history
- Techniques for discovery
- The nature of extrasolar planets
- Future expectations
Life in the universe
- Life (broad characteristics, alternative definitions, detection)
- Possible appearances of extraterrestrial life
- Intelligence (broad characteristics, detection)
- Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)
- Contact (scenarios, consequences)
- Classification and evolution of galactic civilizations
Interstellar travel
- The history of an idea
- Motivations for interstellar travel
- Kinetics and dynamics of interstellar flight
- Relativistic effects
- Propulsion systems
- Relativistic travel versus interstellar arks
- The social dimensions
Hart's time and the colonization of the galaxy
- Modifications to Drake's formula
- Low technology versus high technology transport
- Expansion models
Fermi's paradox
- The paradox
- The possible resolutions
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The website for this course is available within the WebCT system at Sonoma State University. A user name and password is required to access this material. User names and passwords will be provided by the instructor at the first class meeting.
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