AST 161 - Life in the Universe

Semester Hours: 4

Currently, we only know of life in one place: on Earth. This course is an introduction to the science behind the possibilities for finding life in places other than on Earth. We will investigate the scientific understanding of what life means, including the biochemical basis for life on Earth. We will investigate the conditions necessary for the formation and existence of life and where those conditions may exist in our Universe. Finally, we will talk about the search for evidence of life on other planets and moons in our Solar System and the cutting edge discovery of potentially habitable planets and moons around other stars. It is difficult to imagine a scientific discovery that would have a greater impact on our sense of place in the Universe than the definitive discovery of life that has arisen on a place other than Earth. To date, we know of no examples, but in all probability, within a few decades, we will either have discovered evidence that life exists elsewhere or we will be able to set very stringent limits on how common a life-bearing planet such as Earth is in a galaxy such as ours. A laboratory is included. Meets Scientific Discovery Intellectual Perspective requirement (SD).

Intellectual Perspective: SD
Lab Included: LB