ASTRO 200G Astrobiology
Description
Astrobiology examines the potential of the universe to harbour life and is interdisciplinary, combining Geology, Biology, Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Philosophy, Ethics. Course focus is on how these disciplines combine with technology, addressing questions of life in the universe. Key topics include origin and evolution of life, definitions and environmental limits of life, and how to search for life beyond Earth.
Prerequisite: 60 points passed
Students who have previously passed EARTHSCI 206, PHYSICS 107 or 107G cannot take ASTRO 200G in line with same-subject restriction in the General Education regulations.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the origin, evolution and search for life in the Universe in a transdisciplinary modality.
- Evaluate debates and ambiguity in our understanding of the nature and recognition of life.
- Critique a planetary perspective approach to solving world problems.
- Apply stewardship and ethics from the perspective of one planet harbouring life.
Student Feedback
'Everything was explained by the professors really well. When we were online they made a seamless transition and the staff overall were really great.'
'Loved the open–endedness of the journal entries, really allowed me to write about what I was interested in. The clear formatting of the lecture slides was a blessing, clearly showed the structure of each lecture.'
'There are a lot of topics to cover for this course but the order of the lectures and how they relate to one another helped to retain the information as well as to reiterate the key ideas.'