Course ID
035789
Course Description
Thousands of planets have been discovered orbiting nearby stars. How many of these worlds can we expect to be Earth-like? We explore this question from the perspective of astronomers, geologists, and historians. We look back at Earth's geologic history to periods when our planet itself would appear very alien to us today. We study the nearby planets Venus and Mars, which were once more Earth-like than today. We discuss not only the evolution of Earth, Venus, and Mars as habitable worlds but also how human understanding of these planets has evolved. Finally, we apply these perspectives to the search for alien Earths in our galaxy. This interdisciplinary treatment of Earth, its neighboring planets, and planets being discovered around nearby stars allows us to consider the potentially unique position of Earth as a habitable world not only in space but in time.
Min Units
3
Max Units
3
Repeatable for Credit
No
Grading Basis
GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E
Career
Undergraduate
Course Attributes
CE - CL (Cross Listed), GE - T1-NATS (Tier 1 Natural Sciences), GEED - BC (Gen Ed: Building Connections)
Enrollment Requirements
017203
Course Requisites
Cross Listed Courses
May be convened with
Component
Discussion
Optional Component
Yes
Component
Lecture
Optional Component
No