Jeffrey Bennett — Life in the Universe

Автор: Jeffrey Bennett
Название: Life in the Universe
Формат: PDF
Тема: Астробиология
Количество страниц: 545
Качество: Компьютерное, издательское

How to Succeed in Your Astrobiology Course
Part I. Introducing Life in the Universe
1. A Universe of Life?
1.1 The Possibility of Life Beyond Earth
1.2 The Scientific Context of the Search
1.3 Places to Search
1.4 The Science of Astrobiology
Exercises and Problems
MOVIE MADNESS. Cinema Aliens
2. The Science of Life in the Universe
2.1 The Ancient Debate About Life Beyond Earth
2.2 The Copernican Revolution
2.3 The Nature of Modern Science
2.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION. The Fact and Theory of Gravity
Exercises and Problems
DO THE MATH 2.1. Kepler’s Third Law
SPECIAL TOPIC 2.1: Geocentrism and the Church
MOVIE MADNESS. Gravity
3. The Universal Context of Life
3.1 The Universe and Life
3.2 The Structure, Scale, and History of the Universe
3.3 A Universe of Matter and Energy
3.4 Our Solar System
3.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION. Ongoing Development of the Nebular Theory
Exercises and Problems
KEY ASTRONOMICAL DEFINITIONS
DO THE MATH 3.1. How Far Is a Light-Year?
SPECIAL TOPIC 3.1. How Do We Know That the Universe Is Expanding?
MOVIE MADNESS. Interstellar
Part II. Life on Earth
4. The Habitability of Earth
4.1 Geology and Life
4.2 Reconstructing the History of Earth and Life
4.3 The Hadean Earth and the Dawn of Life
4.4 Geology and Habitability
4.5 Climate Regulation and Change
4.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION
Formation of the Moon
Exercises and Problems
DO THE MATH 4.1. Radiometric Dating
KEY GEOLOGICAL DEFINITIONS
MOVIE MADNESS. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
5. The Nature of Life on Earth
5.1 Defining Life
5.2 Cells: The Basic Units of Life
5.3 Metabolism: The Chemistry of Life
5.4 DNA and Heredity
5.5 Life at the Extreme
5.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION
Evolution as Science
Exercises and Problems
KEY BIOLOGICAL DEFINITIONS
SPECIAL TOPIC 5.1. Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution
DO THE MATH 5.1. The Dominant Form of Life on Earth
MOVIE MADNESS. War of the Worlds
6. The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth
6.1 Searching for Life’s Origins
6.2 The Origin of Life
6.3 The Evolution of Life
6.4 Impacts and Extinctions
6.5 Human Evolution
6.6 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION. Artificial Life
Exercises and Problems
DO THE MATH 6.1. Bacteria in a Bottle I: Lessons for Early Life
MOVIE MADNESS. Armageddon
DO THE MATH 6.2. Bacteria in a Bottle II: Lessons for the Human Race
Part III. Life in the Solar System
7. Searching for Life in Our Solar System
7.1 Environmental Requirements for Life
7.2 A Biological Tour of the Inner Solar System
7.3 A Biological Tour of the Outer Solar System
7.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION. Spacecraft Exploration of the Solar System
Exercises and Problems
MOVIE MADNESS. 2001: A Space Odyssey
DO THE MATH 7.1. Newton’s Version of Kepler’s Third Law
8. Mars
8.1 Fantasies of Martian Civilization
8.2 A Modern Portrait of Mars
8.3 The Climate History of Mars
8.4 Searching for Life on Mars
8.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION. Martian Meteorites
Exercises and Problems
DO THE MATH 8.1. The Surface Area–to–Volume Ratio
MOVIE MADNESS. The Martian
9. Life on Jovian Moons
9.1 The Moons of the Outer Solar System
9.2 Life on Jupiter’s Galilean Moons
9.3 Life Elsewhere in the Solar System
9.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION
Chemical Energy for Life
Exercises and Problems
DO THE MATH 9.1. The Strength of the Tidal Force
MOVIE MADNESS 2010: The Year We Make Contact
10. The Nature and Evolution of Habitability
10.1 The Concept of a Habitable Zone
10.2 Venus: An Example in Potential Habitability
10.3 Surface Habitability Factors and the Habitable Zone
10.4 The Future of Life on Earth
10.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION Global Warming: Science, Consequences, and Solutions
Exercises and Problems
DO THE MATH 10.1. Chances of Being in the Zone
SPECIAL TOPIC 10.1. How Long Is 5 Billion Years?
MOVIE MADNESS. Wall-E
Part IV. Life Among the Stars
11. Exoplanets: Their Nature and Potential Habitability
11.1 Distant Suns
11.2 Discovering Exoplanets
11.3 The Number and Nature of Exoplanets
11.4 The Habitability of Exoplanets
11.5 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION
Classifying Stars
Exercises and Problems
DO THE MATH 11.1. Finding Orbital Distances for Exoplanets
DO THE MATH 11.2. Finding Masses of Exoplanets
DO THE MATH 11.3. Finding Sizes of Exoplanets
SPECIAL TOPIC 11.1. The Names of Exoplanets
MOVIE MADNESS. Star Wars
12. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
12.1 The Drake Equation
12.2 The Question of Intelligence
12.3 Searching for Intelligence
12.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION
UFOs and Aliens on Earth
Exercises and Problems
SPECIAL TOPIC 12.1. Frank Drake and His Equation
DO THE MATH 12.1. The Distance Between Signaling Societies
MOVIE MADNESS. Contact
13. Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox
13.1 The Challenge of Interstellar Travel
13.2 Spacecraft for Interstellar Travel
13.3 The Fermi Paradox
13.4 THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE IN ACTION. Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity
Exercises and Problems
DO THE MATH 13.1. The Rocket Equation
DO THE MATH 13.2. Time Dilation
MOVIE MADNESS. Star Trek
Epilogue: Contact—Implications for the Search and Discovery
Exercises and Problems
MOVIE MADNESS. E.T
Answers to Quick Quiz Questions
Appendixes
A. Useful Numbers
B. Useful Formulas
C. A Few Mathematical Skills
D. The Periodic Table of the Elements
E. The Solar System
F. List of Learning Objectives