Are we alone in the Universe? Class combines work at the forefront of astronomy, biology, and physics to try to answer this question. Students discuss the most basic definition of ''life'' and what it means to be a living creature. They examine life forms found in extreme conditions on Earth and use critical thinking skills to evaluate the possibility of life being found in hostile environments in space. They calculate the odds of intelligent life existing elsewhere in the universe using the Drake equation. Finally, they employ critical thinking skills to distinguish science from pseudoscience as in the case of UFOs. Prerequisite: instructor permission.
HSA 60: Astro Biology/Physics
Program