Ponder+This!

People have been telling stories about the origin of human beings since they first began to talk. > "Exploring the entire Universe requires big thinking. And there are hardly bigger ideas than cosmological ones. It is the study of the structure, evolution, and destiny of the totality of all known or supposed objects and phenomena, formerly existing, now present, or to come, taken as a whole. Here we strive to gain an appreciation for the properties of the Universe in bulk: its matter and energy, its size and scale, perhaps something about its origin and fate." ([|Chaisson])
 * Asking Big Questions **
 * The Australian aboriginal people said humans were carved out of bundles of plants and animals.
 * The Hebrew people said Yaweh created humans in his image.
 * The Greeks said humanity was made by Prometheus out of mud and given breath by Athena.
 * The Chinese said humans were the fleas and lice that lived on Pan Gu's body.
 * The Mayans tell of the Heart of Sky asking the grandparents to carve humans out of wood.
 * The Iroquois said people were created by a toad who spit mud on the back of a turtle.
 * Modern scientists theorize that humans have evolved from star dust into a species called Homo sapiens sapiens over 13.7 billion years.

So before class begins, I want you to think about the fate of universe in bulk by seriously pondering the likelihood of our making contact with extraterrestrial life. Think about all you know about the universe. Talk to your friends and family about the likelihood of extra-terrestrial life. Then ask yourself this question: ** How likely is it that earthlings will ever be able to communicate with any other life forms in the universe? ** Come to class the first day with a list of at least 5 topics that you would need to know more about if you wanted to answer that question. 1. 2.  3.  4.  5. See you Monday!
 * Pre-Class Assignment **