ASTRONOMY 110 - Searching for ET: Science and Strategies

Instructor: Dave Meyer

Office: Dearborn Observatory #6
Phone: 491-4516
Email: davemeyer@northwestern.edu
Office Hours: MWF  12:30 - 1:30 PM

Discussions: MWF at 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM  in Tech L221

Textbooks: The Search for Life in the Universe (3rd Ed.) (Goldsmith & Owen), Rare Earth (Ward & Brownlee), Where is Everybody? (Webb)

Grading Policy

The course grade will be based on three 3 - 5 page papers (15% each) due October 6, October 27, and November 15, one 6 - 8 page paper (30%) due December 4, and participation in class discussion (25%).  There will be no exams, final or otherwise.

Class Discussion

As a freshman seminar, this course is meant to be conducted in a discussion format - in other words, there will be no lengthy lectures by the instructor.  In order to make such a course work, it is important that the students complete the weekly reading assignments before the relevant topics are discussed in class each week.  In order to encourage class participation, each student will be assigned to help lead the discussion on one particular chapter of the reading during the quarter.

The Papers

One of the most important goals of a freshman seminar is to foster better writing skills.  Consequently, the chief evaluative component of this course will be four paper assignments as listed below.  Papers will be graded on the basis of clear and concise thinking, originality, and grammatical style.  If you need some help in organizing and writing your papers, check out NU's The Writing Place.  The instructor will be happy to look over paper drafts before the due dates.  No late papers will be accepted.  The particular assignments are as follows:

Assignment #1  (3 - 5 pages) Due: Friday, October 6, 2006

Based on your education, beliefs, and experiences prior to taking this class, make a case either for or against the existence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.

Assignment #2  (3 - 5 pages) Due: Friday, October 27, 2006

Research one of the recently-discovered extrasolar planets and discuss what type of life, if any, could exist there and/or on a moon of this planet.  In what ways, if any, would the Rare Earth hypothesis influence your thinking?

Assignment #3  (3 - 5 pages) Due: Wednesday, November 15, 2006

In Chapter 4 of "Where is Everybody?", the author discusses 22 solutions to the Fermi Paradox that center around the idea that "they exist but have not yet communicated".  Which solution seems most likely to you?  Discuss why.  Can you think of a better solution not discussed by the author?  Also, which solution seems least likely to you?  Discuss why.

Assignment #4  (6 - 8 pages) Due: Monday, December 4, 2006

Choose a recent (within the past 6 months) newspaper or magazine article in a reputable (no tabloids!) publication reporting on an ET-relevant topic and critique it.  The article you choose should be longer than several paragraphs.  In your paper, you will provide some background on the material covered in the article, discuss the importance of any new developments reported, and most importantly, evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the article based on what you have learned in this course.  Please include a xerox copy of the article with your paper.

Some Interesting Astro/ET Links

Skyview Virtual Observatory - view the sky at any wavelength
Searching for Extrasolar Planets - the very latest from the planet-finders
The SETI Institute - the scientific approach to the ET issue
Mars Exploration Rover Mission - the latest images from Spirit and Opportunity
The Cassini-Huygens Mission - view the latest close-up images of Saturn and its moons
The Terrestrial Planet Finder - the future NASA mission to find distant Earth-like planets

Course Outline

Aliens, UFOs, and Myths (Sep. 20, 22, 25) The Milky Way Galaxy (Sep. 27, 29, Oct. 2, 4) Searching for Planets (Oct. 6, 9, 11) What is Life? (Oct. 13, 16, 18) Is Life Universal? (Oct. 20, 23, 25, 27) Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Oct. 30, Nov. 1, 3) Searching for ET (Nov. 6, 8, 10) Are We Alone? (Nov. 13, 15, 17, 20)