Lecture 1 ... 13 Jan 2009 ---
Welcome and course info; Mars thought experiments
Lecture 2 ... 15 Jan 2009 ---
Tours of biology, astronomy, astrobiology;
brief history of science;
what is science?
Lecture 3 ... 20 Jan 2009 ---
Definitions of life; initial conditions
Lecture 4 ... 27 Jan 2009 ---
Miller-Urey; panspermia; anthropic prinicple
Lecture 5 ... 27 Jan 2009 ---
Chemistry: atoms, molecules, periodic table, bonds, radioactivity, chirality.
Lecture 6 ... 29 Jan 2009 ---
Chemistry: atoms, molecules, periodic table, bonds, radioactivity, chirality.
Lecture 7 ... 3 Feb 2009 ---
Biology: Why carbon?; amino acids; RNA and DNA; the RNA world; conundra
Lecture 8 ... 5 Feb 2009 ---
Biology: the DNA
world; conundra; cells; prokaryotes, eukaryotes; energy production;
three domains; extremophiles
Lecture 10 ... 12 Feb 2009 ---
Finish biology: Three domains, extremophiles.
Start Physics: The electromagnetic spectrum.
Lecture 11 ... 17 Feb 2009 ---
Physics: Electromagnetic spectrum; Kepler; Galileo; Newton
Lecture 12 ... 19 Feb 2009 ---
Physics: Newton, thermodynamics. Astronomy: Earth and moon,
seasons, phases, eclipses
Lecture 13 ... 24 Feb 2009 ---
Astronomy: Stars; formation of stars and planets; meteorites;
LHB; formation of planets; Solar System today; after the main
sequence; Doppler shift and applications
Lecture 14 ... 26 Feb 2009 ---
Astronomy: Main sequence and beyond; Doppler shift;
extrasolar planets; galaxies and cosmology; characterization
of stars; Solar neighborhood
Lecture 15 ... 3 Mar 2009 ---
Astronomy: Chararcterization of stars; Solar neighborhood.
Geology: Structure of the Earth; rocks; carbon and water
cycles.
Lecture 16 ... 5 Mar 2009 ---
Geology: Life, carbon cycle, water cycle.
Astrobiology! Why water? Early evolution of Earth
and life on Earth, greenhouse effect, habitability.
Lecture 17 ... 10 Mar 2009 ---
Astrobiology: Early evolution of life on Earth; greenhouse
effect; habitability; climate change; comparative
planetology
Midterm exam ... 12 Mar 2009 --- See guidelines
here.
Lecture 18 ... 24 Mar 2009 ---
Comparative planetology; case study: Europa
Lecture 19 ... 26 Mar 2009 ---
Case studies: Europa, Enceladus
Lecture 20 ... 31 Mar 2009 ---
Case studies: Mars
Lecture 21 ... 2 Apr 2009 ---
Case studies: Titan
Lecture 22 ... 7 Apr 2009 ---
Life on Earth: Prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and evolution
Lecture 23 ... 9 Apr 2009 ---
Life on Earth: Evolution, mass extinctions, Chicxulub; detection
of life
Lecture 24 ... 14 Apr 2009 ---
Chicxulub; detection of life here and there
Lecture 25 ... 16 Apr 2009 ---
Detection of life here and there; signatures of life
Lecture 26 ... 21 Apr 2009 ---
Detection of life here and there; signatures of life/advanced
life; SETI; messages to space; Fermi paradox
Lecture 27 ... 23 Apr 2009 ---
Messages to space; Fermi paradox; other evidence; brief stroll
back through the course
Lecture 28 ... 28 Apr 2009 ---
Brief stroll back through the course
Last modified: 28 Apr 2009