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The drooling, maniacal conquering aliens from the Simpsons. An example of the malevolent, dangerous alien.
NOTE: All articles from JSTOR can be downloaded as PDF files. If you do not yet have Adobe Acrobat reader, you can download a free copy from Adobe:
Last updated on March 22, 2004 |
Does life exist outside of the earth? Does the size of the universe, the vast number of stars and galaxies make it inevitable that other worlds are inhabited? Do the laws of biology apply to extraterrestrial worlds such that the origin of life is commonplace, or is the origin of life exceedingly rare or unique? What does it matter if life is unique or not? In this class, we will address these sorts of questions by looking at what astronomers, biologists, chemists, theologians and philosophers have thought about the existence of life outside the earth. Until we actually encounter such life, its existence is an open question. Note: Students who can definitively prove or disprove the existence of alien life and/or intelligence, or who make contact with such intelligence, by abduction or other means, either during the semester, or anytime after the course is completed, will earn an automatic A for the course. Links to JSTOR articles: Origin of Life Joshua Lederberg. "Exobiology: Approaches to Life Beyond the Earth." Science 132 (1960): 393-400. George Gaylord Simpson. "The Nonprevalence of Humanoids." Science 143 (1964): 769-75. Sidney W. Fox. "Humanoids and Proteinoids." Science 144, no. 3621 (1964): 954. The Modern Debate |
Adopted earthling, Clark Kent (aka Superman), originally from the planet Krypton. An example of the benevolent alien.
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