ASTR 3300 - Extraterrestrial Life - Fall 2009

DATE	TOPIC	READING/ CHAPTER	HOMEWORK AND NOTES
Aug 24	Intro. What is life?
Aug 26	Organic matter	1
Aug 28	Extra-terrestrial inputs		Homework
Aug 31	Complexity
Sept 2	Primitive bio-chemistry to molecular phylogeny		Meinke guest lecture (.ppt presentation)
Sept 4	Synthesis		Homework
Sept 7	No Classes - Labor Day
Sept 9	Origins of life on Earth
Sept 11	Earth History		Homework
Sept 14	Habitability	2	Meinke guest lecture Powerpoint presentation
Sept 16	Extreme environments		Meinke guest lecture
Sept 18	Tree of life		Meinke guest lecture. Homework
Sept 21	Mars climate/history	3
Sept 23	Vikings search for life
Sept 25	Mars meteorite
Sept 28	Review
Sept 30	Quiz		Closed book
Oct 2	Evolution controversies		Homework
Oct 5	Life on Venus
Oct 7	Life on Jupiter
Oct 9	Planetary protection		Homework
Oct 12	Enceladus	4	Dove Guest lecture
Oct 14	Europa
Oct 16	Future Enceladus exploration		Homework
Oct 19	Titan atmosphere	5
Oct 21	Titan surface and interior		Dove Guest lecture
Oct 23	Titan:  The next steps
Oct 26	Review
Oct 28	Quiz		Closed book
Oct 30	Jupiter - Europa orbiter mission		Term paper assignment
Nov 2	Birth of stars		Albers guest lecture
Nov 4	Birth of Planets		Albers guest lecture
Nov 6	Birth of moons and rings		Albers guest lecture
Nov 9	Detecting planets	6
Nov 11	Direct methods
Nov 13	Indirect methods		Paper topics approval deadline
Nov 16	Nature of exoplanets	7
Nov 18	Earth-like planets?
Nov 20	How to find life	8
Nov 23	No class - Fall Break
Nov 25	No class - Fall Break
Nov 27	No class - Thanskgiving
Nov 30	Rare earths
Dec 2	Life as we don't know it
Dec 4	Search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI)
Dec 7	Drake's equation and Fermi's paradox	9
Dec 9	ETL in the public imagination
Dec 11	Final review		Papers Due
Dec 17 (Thurs) 7:30 - 10:00am	Final Exam		Closed book

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