This course satisfies one semester of the 2-semester Natural Science requirement for students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, under the provisions of the Mendel Science Experience (MSE). Students must also be enrolled in the concurrent laboratory course Astronomy Laboratory.
If you prefer an old-fashioned syllabus (i.e. the one that can be printed out and made into an airplane), please download it here.
Course content:
Are we alone? This simple question has profound implications on our view of both ourselves and of the whole Universe. At this time, there is exactly one place in the Universe where we know biological life has developed – here on Earth. However, modern astronomy has shown that there are an uncountable number of places in the Universe where physical conditions may well be similar to our own. We will begin with a review of history of science – how the ancient Greeks made it big for everyone. Then we will review the formation of our Solar System in general and Earth in particular, from point of view of geology. We will continue with discussing life on Earth, describing the properties which distinguish the living from the non-living, the environmental requirements of life as we know it, and the evolution of terrestrial life. With this background, we will then investigate the possibilities of life in our own astronomical neighborhood − the Solar System – focusing on the most likely locations, including Mars and Jupiter’s moons. Next, we will look at the bigger picture and consider the possibilities of life among thestars. Our Milky Way galaxy contains over 200 billion stars, a large fraction of which are now believed to have planetary systems, and the observable Universe contains billions of galaxies. Could there (not) be life out there somewhere? We will examine the general stellar and galactic conditions that lead to planetary habitability and discuss the ways in which life outside the Solar System might be detected. We will also discuss the search for intelligent life and the possibilities of life migrating from one stellar system to another.
Course material:
J. Bennett and S. Shostak: Life in the Universe, 3rd Edition (Pearson/Addison-Wesley 2010)
A set of problems (pdf) to be used as a supplementary study guide for the tests/final.
Presentations:
- Short cruise through the Universe (08/27)
- Dr Fitzpatrick's slides (Chapter 2, Chapter 3) for the week he subbed for me (9/98-9/12)
- Destination: Mars (11/17)
Cool links:
Here's a truly awesome essay by Richard Feynman on basic chemistry, a part of his Lectures on Physics: Atoms in Motion.
A special kind of extremophiles have been discovered a mile deep under the Antarctic ice. Here is a brief report.
ALMA's latest discovery: amazing detail in a protoplanetary system hints that the nebular theory has it right!
An alternative may have been found to water being the indispensable carrier for life: super-critical carbon dioxide!
Handouts:
At every class session I will hand out a list of topics that we will discuss that day. These handouts do not replace notes. Please remember to take notes and consult the book regularly. The handouts in PDF form are provided below.
| 08/27 | 08/29 | 09/03 | 09/05 | 09/15 | 09/17 | 09/19 | 09/22 | 09/24 | 09/26 | 09/29 | 10/01 | 10/03 | 10/06 |
| 10/20 | 10/22 | 10/24 | 10/27 | 10/29 | 10/31 | 11/03 | 11/05 | 11/07 | 11/10 | ||||
| 11/14 | 11/17 | 11/19 | 11/21 | 11/24 | 12/01 | 12/03 | 12/05 | 12/09 |
Quizzes:
Every week there will be a 10-minute in-class quiz that will cover last week's topics. Quizzes contribute significantly to your final grade, please study and come prepared.
| Quiz: | Date: |
| Chapters 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.1, 5.1, 12.1 | Sep 3, 2014 |
| Chapters 2.1, part of 2.2 | Sep 8, 2014 |
| Chapters 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 | Sep 15, 2014 |
| Chapters 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 | Sep 22, 2014 |
| Chapters 4.1, 4.2, parts of 4.4 | Sep 29, 2014 |
| Chapters 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 | Oct 6, 2014 |
| Chapters 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 | Oct 27, 2014 |
| Chapters 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 6.1 | Nov 3, 2014 |
| Chapters 6.1, 6.2. 6.3, 6.4, 6.5 | Nov 10, 2014 |
| Chapters 7, 8 | Nov 24, 2014 |
Tests:
There will be 3 in-class tests that will cover the corresponding third of the material. Tests contribute significantly to your final grade, please study and come prepared.
| Test: | Topics covered: | Book chapters: | Date: | PDF: |
| 1 | 8/27 - 10/08 | 1-5.1, 12.1 | 10/10/2014 | section 1, section 2, section 3 |
| 2 | 10/20 - 11/10 | 5-6 | 11/12/2014 | section 1, section 2 |
| 3 | 11/14 - 12/5 | 7-10 | 12/8/2014 | to be added |
Course work and grading:
Your final grade will reflect your effort, quizzes and tests. The grading is based on the following:
- every week on Monday there will be a quiz that you must take. Every quiz has 10 questions, with an additional two questions for extra credit. Each quiz question is worth 5 points, 50 points total + 10 points for extra credit;
- there will be 3 45-min tests during the semester. These tests will have 5 questions, with an additional question for extra credit. Each question is worth 50 points, 250 points total + 50 points for extra credit;
- at the end of the semester there will be a cumulative final. The final will have 5 questions, with an additional question for extra credit. Each question is 100 points, 500 points total + 100 points for extra credit. If you get 85% or more on all three tests, you may opt out from the final. In that case, your final grade will be computed from the point average of the tests and quizzes;
- occasionally there will be other opportunities given for extra credit, such as an in-depth presentation of research topics related to Life in the Universe. Please see me to find out more about these opportunities.
If you do the math, you'll see that quizzes carry 32% of the grade, tests carry 41% of the grade, and the final carries 27% of the grade. To scare you right out of your pants in advance, here is the grade breakdown:
| 0-56% | F | 68-72% | C- | 84-88% | B |
| 56-60% | D- | 72-76% | C | 88-92% | B+ |
| 60-64% | D | 76-80% | C+ | 92-96% | A- |
| 64-68% | D+ | 80-84% | B- | 96-100% | A |
Attendance:
Regular attendance is essential for uninterrupted understanding of the course material. Since this course covers a significant amount of content in a not-so-significant amount of time, each missed class will hurt. Really hurt. The topic is not trivial and continuous work is required to remain on top of things.
Please do not miss quizzes and tests. If you must miss a quiz or a test, you must inform me of that in advance, and you must have a written notice excusing your absence. Provided that you follow these rules, I will exempt you from a missed quiz (i.e. there are no makeups for the quizzes), and I will provide you with a makeup opportunity for the test. As for the final: whatever you do, just don't miss it.
The etiquette for using laptops and cell phones in class:
The use of notebook computers, palm-tops or cell phones in class is strictly prohibited. You will be publicly flogged if caught using cell phones in class for texting, facebooking or web surfing.
How to reach me:
I am available for your questions and comments whenever you get a hold of me. I usually lurk on the 4th floor Mendel around my office M358c. The best time to catch me is every day between 9am and 5pm except around noon when I'm off to lunch. I am also known to answer e-mails on a regular basis.
Academic integrity:
Finally, here goes the standard blurb: any violation of the Code of ethics will be grounds for failing the course. Any cheating, copying, duplication of work, etc, will get you into trouble. If you have any concerns whatsoever, come talk to me and I'm sure we'll be able to sort everything out.
Special needs:
It is the policy of Villanova University to make reasonable academic accommodations for qualified individuals with special needs. If you are a person with a special need please contact me after class or during office hours and make arrangements to register with the Learning Support Office by contacting 610-519-5636 or Nancy Mott as soon as possible. Services for students with physical disabilities are provided by the Division of Student Life.