Course Description

Explores the history of humankind's search for life beyond Earth. With an introduction to the beliefs of ancient Greeks, we will embark on a journey to explore the ideas of many famous scientists such as Galileo, Kepler, Newton and Darwin on the existence of extraterrestrials. We will then examine some of the interesting topics that have resurfaced in the field of science and religion following the recent discoveries in the fields of exoplanetary science and astrobiology. We will explore the spectrum of modern positions of different religions with regard to a potential discovery of extraterrestrial life. Finally, we will discuss some of the cultural, political and sociological aspects of a discovery of extraterrestrial life.
Course credit exclusions: SC/NATS 1880 6.00, SC/NATS 1745 6.00.