UOSM2029
: The Search for Life in the
Cosmos
Running Semester 2
2014/15
This
course is available and accessible to any non-physics student in years 1, 2 or
3.
Perhaps one of the biggest questions facing
humanity at the moment is the possibility (or not!) of life existing elsewhere
in the universe. Though it currently seems highly improbable that our planet is
the only place teeming with life, at the moment there is no scientific evidence
showing this to be the case. This course is aimed
specifically at the non-physicist and it will look at the ways we are
seeking extra-terrestrial life through observations and debate. It will
introduce the concepts behind star & planet formation, as well as looking
in detail at the extreme forms of life on our own planet.
The major topics of the course are:
1. The astronomical background
to the Drake Equation, in particular, the evolution of stars and planetary
systems
2. The
evolution of life on Earth, including examples of life that don't appear to
require sunlight and/or oxygen to survive. The evidence for, and possible
astronomical causes of major mass extinctions will be investigated.
3. Molecules in
space: the observations of complex hydrocarbons and other sophisticated
molecules. Where are they found, how are they created, and how do they survive?
4. The possible
origin and evolution of life in an extraterrestrial
planetary context: the birth of exobiology; applying biology and biochemistry
to consider the requirements for extraterrestrial
life. Will life only be found in the traditional "comfort zones" of
solar systems?
5. Life in the
Solar System: progress over the last century in our knowledge and expectations
about potential life on Mars, Europa and elsewhere. A
discussion of the pansperma theory for the spreading
of life through the solar system.
6. Searching
for other planetary systems: a detailed discussion of the techniques used, and
the recent discoveries of the many planetary systems around nearby stars.
7. SETI:
searching for signals from extraterrestrials. A review of the work of the last 20 years and the intrinsic
difficulties in communicating with, and visiting, other stellar systems.
8. Are we
alone: a discussion of the very recent ideas of the palaeontologists Ward &
Brownlee that though there may be many examples of primitive life to be found
in the Cosmos, advanced intelligent life (like ours) may be very rare.
Assessment
will be by Essay - 30%, Presentation - 20%, Final Multichoice
test - 50%
Quotes from last year’s students include:
“Great overview of the subject – broad
range of topics, right amount of detail”
“Enjoyable & intellectually
stimulating”
“Thought provoking”
“Well aimed at the non-scientist”
Read here
a review of the course from one of those students and here you
can see the course being discussed by the lecturer