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 | | From: | Guest | | Subject: | Are we alone? | | Date: | Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:49:44 -0800 (PST) |
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 | Are we alone?: College offers course that seeks universal truth
By: DONNA WICK , Villager staff
Enrico Fermi, an atomic scientist back in the 1940s once posed a question
to a group of like scientists when the discussion turned to
extraterrestrial life. "So where is everybody?"
Enrico Fermi, an atomic scientist back in the 1940s once posed a question
to a group of like scientists when the discussion turned to
extraterrestrial life. "So where is everybody?"
What he meant was: If there are all these billions of planets in the
universe that are capable of supporting life, and millions of intelligent
species out there, then how come none have visited Earth? This singular
survey has become known as The Fermi Paradox, which is where Dr. Daniel
Kainer, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Montgomery College,
takes his springboard. Both he and Montgomery College Chemistry Professsor
Marie Underdown designed the thought-provoking Astrobiology course,
expounding even greater on this paradox, now being offered at Montgomery
College.
"Astrobiology can be described as a scientific field of study without any
data," Kainer said. "There might not be data to support extraterrestrial
life, yet nothing can be excluded, either, in considering the possibility.
"However, NASA has deemed the study of Astrobiology as being
scientifically acceptable, which gives great credibility to the field."
In following Fermi, possible solutions to his profound question might be:
extraterrestrials were here and they left evidence even considering that
"they" are us; they exist, but have not communicated implying that
civilization does not understand how to listen to signal form of
extraterrestrials or extraterrestrials do not exist at all suggesting
inhabitants of earth are the first and final frontier. Each of these
solutions, plus others, could heighten fodder for discussion, which is the
premise to the teaching technique devised by Kainer.
Posing mind-bending questions to students -- both adults and youth in
differing college curriculums -- Kainer deliberately sets out to spark the
imagination and inspire a sense of wonder, urging his class to set aside
preconceived ideas and to look at the evidence, however scant. The
questions he posits spread across a vast landscape of scientific
disciplines including biology, chemistry, astronomy, geology, psychology
and philosophy.
"We have had tremendous feedback from students who have taken this
course," said Angela Colton, coordinator for the Center for Creative
Discovery at Montgomery College. "I can honestly say that we have had 100
percent attendance in every class, all session long, which is astounding.
And mind you, these are kids who are only 10 to 12 years old."
Colton is speaking about students who enrolled in the Home School
Connection division of the Center for Creative Discovery that offers
Astrobiology and begins a new session Jan. 13 at Montgomery College, which
runs until April 7.
"What is amazing about the field of Astrobiology is its formal acceptance
in school curriculum," Kainer said. "The University of Washington offers a
Graduate Study Certificate in Astrobiology. And TERC, a not-for-profit
education research and development organization based in Cambridge, Mass.,
is creating a formal high school curriculum. For now, Astrobiology doesn't
exist as a formal course in Texas, which we are hoping we can assist in
the implementation."
Presently, TERC and NASA are developing an interdisciplinary high school
course in the science of astrobiology where students explore diverse
concepts in chemistry, biology, Earth and space science, and engineering.
Topics include the geologic history of planets, the chemical foundations
of life, biological diversity, and the use of remote-sensing
instrumentation. Students develop research skills through modeling, lab
experiments, field observations, and image and data analysis, and are
linked to data from NASA's planetary space missions. The project is funded
by the National Science Foundation.
"What I find incredible is not only the high level of interest from the
kids who enroll in this course, but also their level of questioning,"
Kainer said. "I've had students question everything from string theories,
which is a very cutting-edge framework in physics, to the basis of time
being a creation of man in context to the physical nature of the
universe."
Kainer's course appeals to the esteemed intellect and curiosity of his
students offering challenging debate under a variety of headings that jump
starts the dialogue among students. One such discussion queries, "Would
finding life on another world change society drastically?"
Additionally, the course's table of contents reads right out of a Carl
Sagan novel, which further peeks student interest addressing topics such
as: Where did we come from?, Is there Life Elsewhere?, Evolution &
Diversity, The Chemistry of Life, Signals from Space, The Search for
Extrasolar Planets ... and the list continues.
The ultimate goal of the course is to highlight the juxtaposition of our
inhabitance on the earth, described by Sagan as "the pale blue dot" that
is suspended in a single solar system within a single galaxy -- a
glistening spec of dust caught in the beam of the sun, set amidst hundreds
of billions of uncharted galaxies comprising the universe.
"If it is true that we are alone in the universe, then that must mean we
must be pretty special indeed," Kainer said.
Kainer earned his doctorate in Cell Biology from Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center. He has an MS in microbiology from Texas Tech and a
BS in psychology and philosophy from the University of Houston.
For more information or to register for the Astrobiology course, please go
to www.montgomery-college.com/community or call (936) 273-7402.
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1574&dept_id=532542&newsid=13693595
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