Life Beyond Earth

Course description

The question of life beyond Earth is one of the oldest in human history. It has inspired countless stories and legends, and a modern mythology that has become a multi-billion dollar entertainment industry. It has driven our efforts in space exploration and lead to many scientific advances. With the recent development of methods to discover and study planets outside our solar system we are making great strides towards answering the question of life elsewhere in the universe. To date over a thousand exoplanets have been confirmed, some of which appear to offer conditions similar to those on Earth. In this course we will begin with a study of our own solar system, what makes life possible here on Earth, and whether there may be life in other parts of our solar system. We will next examine what life is, the requirements for life, and how life originated and evolved on Earth, with a view to considering how and where extraterrestrial life may exist. Then we will learn how planets in other solar systems are being discovered and studied, and we will help look for new planets. Next we will turn our attention to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and learn about the methods and problems involved in trying to find and make contact with other civilizations. Finally we will consider the possibilities of human life beyond Earth, in the forms of colonization and space exploration. Throughout the course we will further explore selected topics through participation in citizen science projects that allow ordinary people to help make scientific discoveries. We will also read selected short science fiction works, considering their scientific validity and what they say about human hopes and fears as we consider whether or not we are alone in the universe.

Course details