The following is the syllabus of the course that I am teaching during the 2008-09 academic year (spring term) at Harvard University:

Astro E-8 COSMIC EVOLUTION: The Origins of Matter and Life

Instructor: Dr. Eric J. Chaisson, Research Professor of Physics, Tufts University
                                                         Associate, Harvard College Observatory

Meets Wednesday evenings, 7:40 - 9:40pm, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Course Abstract: Evolution of the Universe, from its origin in a cosmic expansion to the emergence of life on Earth and possibly other planets. Big-bang cosmology, origin and evolution of galaxies, stars, planets, life, and intelligence. Discussions of Nature writ large, from quarks to quasars, microbes to minds. Materials largely descriptive, based on insights from physics, astronomy, geology, chemistry, biology, and anthropology.

Course Description: This broad survey course combines the essential ingredients of astrophysics and biochemistry to create an interdisciplinary synthesis called "cosmic evolution." Directed mainly toward non-science students, the course addresses, from a scientific viewpoint, some of the time-honored philosophical issues including who we are, whence we've come, and how we fit into the cosmic scheme of things. Our primary objectives are to gain an appreciation for the origin of matter and the origin of life., all the while seeking unification throughout the natural sciences.

The course divides into three segments. Part I (~10% of the course) introduces some basic scientific concepts, particularly those physical and chemical principles needed for the remainder of the course. Part II (~ 40% of the course) is heavily astronomical, as we use the concept of space to describe the many varied objects populating the Universe, from nearby planets to distant galaxies; this spatial theme serves as an inventory, describing what matter exists throughout the cosmos. Part III (~ 50% of the course) uses the concept of time to sketch the central ideas of cosmic evolution; this temporal theme permits us to describe how matter and life have changed throughout eternity. Indeed, we shall find that change--i.e., evolution--is the hallmark in the development of all things, including galaxies, stars, planets, and life.

Throughout our course, we shall concentrate on the origin, maintenance, and destiny of all objects--large and small, near and far, past and future. We shall study in some depth, among other things, the birth of the Universe, the exotic quasars, the bizarre black holes, relativity theory, cosmology, the origins of life and of intelligence, and the prospects for extraterrestrial life on alien worlds. These and other specific topics will be probed to the extent needed to sketch the broadest view of the biggest picture: the newly emerging scientific philosophy of cosmic evolution.

Course Prerequisite: Persistent curiosity. (Knowledge of high school mathematics is useful.)

Course Requirements:

1) A mid-term exam and a final exam, both generally requiring short paragraph answers. Each exam counts toward 1/3 of the final grade.

2) An 8-page (10-page maximum) term paper, typewritten, counts toward 1/3 of the final grade. This paper should not be written as a book review or technical reshash of some known scientific issue. Rather, it should be a concise, high-quality, non-mathematical treatment of any of the wide-ranging, as yet unsolved, topics introduced in this course. Once a topic has been chosen, the student should read carefully and evaluate critically the various competing arguments. Come to your own conclusion and support it. Paper topics not covered in the course must be approved by the instructor. Papers are due on the penultimate day of class, 13 May 09. There will be no extensions. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade per 24-hour interval beyond the deadline.

Section Meetings: An optional "third hour" for discussion and clarification of course material will be held each Wednesday evening, from 9:45 to 10:30 pm.

Web sites: Three Web sites are specifically relevant to this course:

(1) One Web site pertains to the course per se, and includes a copy of this syllabus, course assignments and other information pertinent to the administration of the course: Go to http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/eric/ericpage.html,

(2) A second Web site is closely tied to the main textbook for this course, offering much additional material not found in the printed text--images, animations, software, and self-help sections. You can access this site via the CD-Rom packaged with the textbook, or directly via your browser: Go to http://www.prenhall.com/chaisson

(3) A third Web site contains much material specifically related to the interdisciplinary subject of cosmic evolution; it is most relevant to the third, evolutionary part of the course: Go to http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/cosmic_evolution/.

Instructor's coordinates: Eric Chaisson can best be reached via one of the following routes:

paper = Wright Center, Tufts University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155
tel = 617-627-5393 (voice) or 617-627-5394 (assistant)
fax = 617-627-3995
email = eric.chaisson@tufts.edu OR chaisson@fas.harvard.edu
Web = http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/eric/ericpage.html

Required readings are taken from:

CM = Chaisson & McMillan, Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide , (5th ed.), PrenticeHall, 2007
CD = CD-ROM v.4, Cosmic Evolution: From Big Bang to Humankind, 2005

Optional readings (in parentheses above) are taken from:

EE = Chaisson, Epic of Evolution: Seven Ages of the Cosmos, Columbia University Press, 2006

More technical readings (in parentheses above) are taken from:

CE = Chaisson, Cosmic Evolution: Rise of Complexity in Nature, Harvard University Pr., 2001

Books "CM", "CE" and "EE" are available for purchase in the Harvard Coop.
CD-ROM "CD" will be given free of charge to students enrolled in the course.