Physics Life in the Universe

  Choose one of the three topics listed on the following Extinction Events: It is often stated that the Drake Equation can be simplified as N ~ L. That is, the lifetime of a technological species is the most important factor in determining whether we should expect the Galaxy to contain civilizations with whom we might communicate. Examining Earth’s history, we see that extinction events are relatively common. Research and describe one type of extinction event that would threaten the survival of humans on Earth. How likely is this event to occur, and how soon might it happen? How devastating would the effects be for humanity? What, if anything can be done to reduce the chances of it happening? Is it being done now? Note: you may not write about asteroid impacts, since we will discuss that possibility in class. Examples of phenomena to research include, but are not limited to: --Climate change --Supervolcanoes --Nuclear warfare The Fermi Paradox: The Fermi Paradox, improperly ascribed to the physicist Enrico Fermi, may be stated briefly as “where are they?” The implication of the question is that if even one civilization in the Galaxy develops interstellar travel, it should be able to spread throughout the entire Galaxy in a cosmologically short amount of time (<1 billion years). Thus, the fact that we have not already encountered extraterrestrial travelers would appear to suggest that we are, in fact, alone in the Galaxy, if not in the universe. Research and describe one or two possible solutions to the Fermi Paradox. What are arguments for or against the solution or solutions you are discussing? Examples of solutions to the Paradox include, but are not limited to: --Earth is the first and/or only technological civilization in the Galaxy. --The “cosmic zoo” hypothesis --The “aestivation hypothesis” The “Human Factor” of a SETI Success: The novel Contact by Carl Sagan explores the sociological, political, and religious implications of an advanced alien civilization making contact with humans. But is it realistic? Research and discuss what experts predict for the sociological consequences of a detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. There are many options for issues to focus on, but some example questions to consider include: --Would humans reply to ET communication? Who would make this decision? --Would an ET detection lead to a panic among the public? --How would one or more of the world’s major religions react to the news of ET? Papers will be graded according to the following criteria: Research (40%): Does the paper cite good, appropriate sources? Are there at least 5 sources used? Writing Technique (20%): Does the paper correctly use inline citations? Is there a properly formatted bibliography? Does the paper use proper grammar, sentence, and paragraph structure? Does it have a well defined introduction, body, and conclusion? Content (40%): Does the paper thoroughly and thoughtfully address the prompt? Does it include a coherent discussion of the topic? Do the sources cited offer meaningful support for the arguments made by the author?