Spring 2001
Instructor: Ben Zuckerman email: ben@astro.ucla.edu
Office: Math Sciences bldg. 8348.Phone: (310_825-9338
Office Hours:
Monday 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
And by appointment
Teaching Assistant: Amy Lo email: amy@astro.ucla.edu
Office: Math Sciences bldg. 8348.Phone: (310_825-9338
Office Hours: Thursday 3-5 p.m.
Texts:
The Search for Life in the Universe, 2nd ed. D. Goldsmith & T. Owen
Extraterrestrials-Where are They?, 2nd ed. B. Zuckerman & M.H. Hart eds.
Class web page: http://www.physics.ucla.edu/class/01S/5_Zuckerman/
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~amy/astro5/intro.html
Lectures:
MWF 2:00 - 2:50 Knudsen Hall room 1200
R 2:00 - 2:50 Knudsen Hall room 1240
Exams will be short essay questions:
Two Midterms (25% each) - Wed. April 25 & Wed. May 23
Final (50%) - Thursday June 14 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
How did we get here? (Evolution of the universe and origin and evolution of life).
Origin of the Universe
Formation of the Galaxies
Origin of the Elements
Star Formation
Formation of the Solar System
What is Life?
Origin of Life on Earth
Evolution: Chemical => Biological => Cultural
Chances "they" made it too. (Prospects for life and intelligence elsewhere)
The future: Genetic Engineering, Overpopulation, Artificial Intelligence
Search for Life in the Solar System (Venus, Mars, Jupiter)
Search for Other Solar Systems
Can we talk? (Prospects for communication)
Communications: Are we Alone?
They Visit Us: UFO's, Ancient Astronauts
We Visit Them: Rockets, Relativity, etc.
They Telephone Us (or Visa-Versa): Lasers, Radars., Tachyons, etc.
The Future: Space colonies, Terraforming, Effects of Contact, etc.