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Updated:
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Astrobiology |
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UNR Geology 495/695 |
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UNLV Biology 493/796 |
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Click here for lectures
and supplementary documents |
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Text:
Astrobiology: A Multidisciplinary Approach by J.L. Lunine |
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August 29: Class #1. (Fritsen) |
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Introductions:
(Fritsen, Hedlund, Moser, Sun, Collier) |
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Course mechanics expectations and goals |
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AGN- a new way of doing business? Learning a new way to learn. (the bleeding edge? We hope to minimize mix ups but… they
will occur and we will improvise and succeed!). |
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1 credit— readings, lecture participation, |
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2 credits— readings, lecture participation, and
a term paper/lead class?. |
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What is Astrobiology? |
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Fusion in Stars and the Creation of the
elements (Fritsen/Collier). |
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(background Reading) Essential Concepts 1:
Basic Physics of Forces and Particles |
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(background Reading) Essential Concepts II:
Basic Physics of Chemistry |
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(background Reading) Essential Concepts
III: The Chemistry of Life |
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(background Reading) The Thermodynamic
Foundations of Life |
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September 12: Class #2:
(Fritsen). |
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Fusion in Stars and the Creation of the
Elements (continued). |
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The Expanding Universe |
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Solar System Formation, Planetary Accretion
and Earth’s Evolution as a Habitable Planet. |
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September 19: Class #3: (Moser/Hedlund) |
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Biological Foundations for the Origin of Life |
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From Origin to Diversification of Life |
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Readings: Essential concepts: |
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(Background |
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(Background |
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September 26: Class #4 (Hedlund/Sun) Observed and
theoretical limits of the life process. Is there such a thing as
an extremophile anyway? |
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Extremophiles
and the Span of Terrestrial Biotic Environments |
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October 3: Class #5
(Fritsen/Calvin?) |
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Planetary Evolution II: The history of Mars |
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Planetary Evolution III: Europa
and Titan |
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Panspermia? |
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October 10: Class #6
(Sun/Moser): |
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Life Elsewhere I: Direct detection of Life and
Its Remnants within the Solar System |
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Biomarkers and their preservation in the rock
record |
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Readings: Essential
concepts: |
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(Background |
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(Special topic) Biomarkers and their
preservation in the rock record |
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(Special topic) Ancient life in Halite and
Amber |
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(Special topic) ALH84001 (controversy) |
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October 17: Class# 7: |
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Life Elsewhere II: The Discovery of Extrasolar Planetary Systems and the Search for Habitable
and Inhabited Worlds |
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Drake equation |
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October 24: Class #8: |
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Evolution of Intelligence and the Persistence
of Civilization |
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SETI |
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(Supplemental reading?) External and Internal
Influences on the Origins of Life (Moser) |
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November 7:
Class #9: TBD: Guest lectures/seminars (or interspersed at topical times?) |
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November 14: Class #10: TBD: |
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November 21: Class #11: TBD |
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November 28: Turkey |
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December 5: Class #12: TBD |
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December 12:
Finals Weeks (UNLV), December 15th for UNR. |
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Other Topics and special lectures from
instructor specialties that should get worked in somewhere (Note some of
these could be coordinated with Extromophiles
lecture): |
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Special Lectures (Moser) |
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Deep
hot biosphere and Life in the Deep Subsurface Independent of Surface
Resources (e.g. Mars). |
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Special Lecture X (Hedlund) |
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Hydrothermal
systems continental and marine |
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Special Lecture X (Sun) |
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Endoliths/hypoliths + dry valley lakes fits here maybe? Include something about basalt channels
(e.g. Fisk et al) |
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Special Lecture X (Fritsen) |
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Cold
places Terrestrial and extraterrestrial |
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Mars Missions past, present and future? (Calvin?) |
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Including Spirit and |
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Other Potential Topics of Interest: |
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Panspermia |
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Seti |
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Dynamic Earth (e.g. can you have a biosphere
w/o plate tectonics?) |
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Forward/back contamination and planetary protection |
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Biomarkers and their preservation in the rock
record |
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Spirit and |
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Earth analogs of extraterrestrial places
(mostly Mars, e.g. |
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ALH8001 |
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AGN Guest Lecturer Possibilities: |
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Marty Fisk, OSU Endo-basaltic channeling
microbes |
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Russ Vreeland, West
Chester U, I think, brine channels |
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Ken Nealson? |
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Someone from Deep Subseafloor
work (Steve D’Hondt, Jim Cowan?) |
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Someone from planetary protection and survival
of microbes in space experiments (Rummel, Venkat) |
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Chris McKay(Atacama) |
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Someone from Mars Meteor controversy (McKay,
House…) |
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Mars Geomorph Type
(Steve Clifford, Wess Ward) |
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Extinctions Guru (Peter Ward) |
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Religious
holidays: If you have a religious holiday that conflicts with
any of the exam dates, please inform me by the last day of late registration
(Sept. 2nd) so we can make alternative
arrangements. |