Course Format - Laboratory Sessions Labs are collaborative effort of two or three students. Laboratory reports will be turned in at the conclusion of each laboratory session. The course is a conceptual-based course using a minimal amount of algebra and geometry. Prerequisite is HNRS 227. Students should have English composition skills at least comparable to the English 111 level.
Objectives Describe the origins of life in the universe and on Earth.
Explain the scientific method and the philosophy of science, as related to the study of astrobiology. Describe the physical laws that govern the interaction of matter, energy, time, and space in the cosmos. State how astrobiologists utilize electromagnetic radiation to gain the knowledge of the mechanics of the birth, life, and death of stars from the distant past. Appreciate the magnitude of the scientific problem of the search for extraterrestrial life in the universe. Exploration of biochemical properties of living systems that are essential to all life.