Welcome to the Astronomy 141 Lecture Podcasts. This is a brief message from me explaining the podcasts, and welcoming new and old listeners. University. Lectures will begin on Wednesday, 2009 Sept 23, and run through Friday, 2009 Dec 4. New lectures will appear shortly before 6pm ...Afficher plus
Lecture 1: Introduction
A brief overview of the topics we will cover in Astronomy 141, setting the stage for how we can make a serious scientific inquiry out of the question of whether or not there is life elsewhere in the Universe. It is a short lecture, the first half was an overview of course mechani ...Afficher plus
Lecture 2: Astronomical Numbers
An introduction and review of the basic notation and physical units we will be using throughout this course. In particular, we will be using the Metric (SI) system for lengths, masses, times, and temperatures, and special astronomical units for distances (AU and Light Years) and ...Afficher plus
Lecture 3: Imagining Other Worlds
What is the cultural history of our imaginings of other worlds and their possible inhabitants? I will draw examples from history, philosophy, literature, cinema, and popular culture. In the end, our imaginings about other worlds inform us more about ourselves, our hopes and our f ...Afficher plus
Lecture 4: The Copernican Revolution
Modern science was borne of an effort over many centuries to understand the motions of celestial bodies. The Copernican Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries was the crucial moment in history when we finally understood the nature of celestial motions, and opened the door to t ...Afficher plus